


Cherry Fetches Gabriel's Horn

by PerkyGoth14



Category: All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-27 23:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 42,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6303541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the unfortunate death of Patch, Cherry and Atticus are asked to come into San Francisco to help retrieve an item known as Gabriel's Horn which is stolen by a devilish villain and it needs to be brought back in order for more dogs to get into Heaven.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Patch could only see darkness with swirls and colorful beaming lights until he saw a dark tunnel with a light at the end of it. Something was making him fly up into the tunnel and he came through a cloudy place and crashed against a pair of golden gates. The Dalmatian puppy shook himself and looked around, but found one dog in a robe with a golden halo with a paper and quill in his paws, standing on his hind legs.

"Oh, you came earlier than our other appointments today..." the elder dog told him. "Welcome to your eternal and new home."

"How are you standing on your hind legs?" Patch asked.

"This is Heaven, my dear boy..." the dog told him. "Anything you wish becomes reality... I'm saddened to see someone of your age to go so young..."

A golden pocket watch tied with a red ribbon then landed around Patch's neck. Patch looked at the watch and held it in his paws and opened it up, but it wasn't ticking and the hands weren't moving at all.

"So, th-this is my life line?" Patch asked.

"Yes, it is, my boy," the elder dog nodded. "That watch is your life and it stopped."

Patch pouted. "I don't suppose you could wind it back?"

"Oh, no, no one's supposed to come back unless for absolute emergency," the elder dog told him. "And if you use the watch to go back for your own selfish gain, you won't be able to come back here and you'll end up... Somewhere else..."

"You mean H-E-L-L?" Patch spelled.

"Mm-hmm..." the elder dog nodded. "One of our clients found that out the hard way, but luckily, he redeemed himself before he died the second time... He gave his own life to save a little girl who was sick and maybe even dying before she was happily adopted."

"Oh, you mean Charlie," Patch smiled. "I've been told about his brave action."

"Hello, Patch." Annabelle smiled, coming in with the Dalmatian pup's white robe and his own halo.

The elder dog stepped aside to let Annabelle do her work.

"Ma'am." Patch bowed to the pink whippet angel of all angels.

Annabelle placed the white robe and halo on Patch as they were both perfect fits.

Patch pouted. "I hope Atticus is okay..."

"You can watch over him, but only in spirit..." Annabelle reminded him. "You're just in time for our ceremony before the other new arrivals show up."

"Good to know." Patch smiled.

"You'll have to get in line with the others who are also becoming Guardian Angels." Annabelle said.

"A Guardian Angel?" Patch asked. "Me?"

"Come along now, I'm not saying anymore until we're all here." Annabelle said as she took him to a part of Heaven where there were other angel dogs who were awaiting for her to start the ceremony.

"Wow, there are a lot of dogs here," Patch said. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

There was a familiar German Shepherd who was sitting and grumbling.

"Charlie Barkin?" Patch asked.

The shepherd turned once his name was called, then looked down to see the Dalmatian puppy. "Hey, you're Patch, right?" he asked.

"Yep, that's me," Patch said before seeing a dog next to him. "Is that Carface?"

"Yep..." Charlie mumbled.

"Who said my name?" the pit bull dog looked around when his own name was then called.

"You got into Heaven?" Patch asked. "I heard you were a very bad dog..."

"All dogs go to Heaven, kiddo..." Charlie said, then had a jokester smirk. "They let me in, didn't they?"

"Yes, but why did they let him in?" Patch asked.

"Like I said... All dogs go to Heaven..." Charlie said.

"Clearly, they saw how noble a citizen I was in my lifetime..." Carface smiled, then leaned into Patch's face. "But you should mind your own business, kid!"

Before anything else could be said, the ceremony started. More and more angel dogs flown in who wanted to be apart of the ceremony. This meant that they all had to be quiet for now. Patch was still devastated that he had to live his life now without Atticus and missed him now more than ever.

"You okay, kid?" Charlie whispered.

"I just miss Atticus..." Patch sighed. "I wish I could've said...Goodbye..."

"I'm sure you'll see him again." Charlie whispered.

Patch sighed sadly and tried to return focus with the other quiet and listening dogs. Annabelle began to give each dog who were becoming Guardian Angels were being given badges. Patch listened for his name, knowing he was going to be selected already. Charlie listened too, thinking the Guardian Angels were just 'teacher's pets'. After giving a dog his badge as his sign of a guardian angel Annabelle grabbed the last two badges she had to give to the last two guardian angels.

"And now for our final lucky angels who are given the special title of 'Guardian Angel'..." Annabelle started after the one dog had accepted his badge from her.

"Can't believe they called us all here just for merit badges, eh, guys?" Charlie grumbled.

Carface shushed him to show respect for Annabelle as she went on and on about how special this award was for the lucky dogs to earn it. Patch continued to listen, already knowing he would be one of the lucky ones.

"Now I know why they call it 'eternity'," Charlie commented. "Everything here takes forever..."

The other dogs shushed Charlie sharply as they tried to listen to Annabelle and had a hard time tuning the German Shepherd out.

"Charlie, take a lesson from the kid and show some respect." Carface suggested.

'I hate to say this, but this does seem to be taking forever.' Patch thought to himself as he waited.

"These diamond studded angel wings go to..." Annabelle finally got to the point as she held the remaining two badges in her paws. "Patch Pongo and Carface Caruthers!"

This surprised Charlie because he did not see that coming at all. And where Patch was surprised because Carface was becoming a guardian angel as well. The two then went up together to claim their badges. Annabelle smiled to both of them as she rewarded them with their badges. Patch smiled, but was still sad that he wouldn't see Atticus again.

"It's all right, Patch..." Annabelle cooed, knowing why this was a bittersweet moment for him.

"Um... Thank you very much..." Patch said softly, remembering his manners.

"What an honor!" Carface smiled rather smugly for his reward. "You're too kind!"

Patch and Carface then flew back to their spots. There was a heavenly choir for them as they were gratefully awarded. That concluded the ceremony and Annabelle flew off with her helpers, allowing the others to do whatever they wanted to do in their afterlife.

"Charlie, why don't you have one?" Patch asked.

"Uhh... Well... I..." Charlie stammered. "It's a popularity contest, really..."

"Really?" Patch asked as he saw several other dogs had their own Guardian Angel badges that shined brighter which made Charlie seem isolated from the others. "Well, I'm sure that you'll get your badge someday." he reassured.

Before anything else could be said, there was a horn being blown in the distance which made all of the dogs smile, except for Patch, who looked confused and curious.

"What's that?" Patch asked.

"Come on, kid!" Charlie told the puppy, rushing over. "I'm expecting company!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Patch said before flying off the same direction Charlie was going. He was surprised at his flying, but shrugged it off as he flew over to where Charlie was.

A pair of golden gates became visible as they opened up.

"I'm late!" Charlie kept going as fast as he could to make it.

"Need a lift?" Patch asked.

"Uh, that's okay, I-" Charlie was about to say until Patch was still able to carry Charlie and they flew together over to the Pearly Gates of Heaven to meet the new arrivals.

The elder dog from earlier came with another dog as the gates were about to be opened. Patch got both himself and Charlie to the gates in time for the new arrivals. The doors slowly opened in front of them and one dog was accidentally knocked into the clouded tunnel, going back down.

"Oops..." Charlie chuckled nervously. "Sorry..." he then saw the dog's halo and decided to send it down after the falling dog. "Have they started?"

"Oh, no, no," a puny chihuahua replied as he took out a photograph of a female dog with an eager smile. "Not yet."

"Is the one your waiting for your girlfriend?" Patch asked after seeing the picture.

"Oh, yes, I miss her very much..." the chihuahua sighed dreamily. "I just hope she remembers me..."

"I'm sure she will." Patch smiled.

Eventually, a golden glow came from the clouds and the female dog in the puny dog's picture flew up in the air with hearts all around and she seemed to had gained a large amount of weight and nearly squashed her boyfriend, then hugged and kissed him once they were reunited to spend the rest of eternity together.

"Put on some weight, huh, Fluffy?" the chihuahua smiled up to her, not caring that his halo was bent slightly now.

"Looks like she has." Patch said.

The elder dog made a checklist as more and more deceased dogs were coming in for their afterlife.

"This is nice and depressing at the same time..." Patch said, on one hand, these dogs were going to have a peaceful and happy eternity, but on the other, they were no longer enjoying the freedom and kindness that life had to offer for some.

Charlie continued to wait as the one he had been waiting for hadn't arrived yet. Patch winced as he saw one dog with a vacuum cleaner, one with an engine, and another with a mailman's bag tightly around his neck. What gruesome ways to pass on.

"That's it," the elder dog said. "That's all the dogs."

"Wait, sir, there's actually one dog left, I just know it." Patch said.

"He's right, there has to be more." Charlie begged. "I'm expecting company!"

The elder dog started to read from the list of dogs that were supposed to come in today. "Buster, Bandit, Bowswer, Fifi, Pound, Fluffy, Chi-Chi, Patch..."

"ITCHY!" Charlie cried out once he saw who was waiting for and held out his paws.

The Dauschand crash landed into the German Shepherd.

"Ah, yes, here he is right on the list." the elder dog then found Itchy's name on the list.

"Let me guess, it also tells how he died, right?" Patch asked.

"It does indeed, my boy..." the elder dog said.

"He used to teach me in Puppy School..." Patch said. "May I know how this happened?"

"He choked on a chicken bone..." the elder dog sighed.

"Just like what Annabelle told me..." Patch whispered before going over to his Puppy School teacher.

"Where am I?" Itchy groaned as he tried to sort himself out.

"You old flea bag, you." Charlie smiled once he saw his oldest and bestest friend.

Itchy gagged slightly and then spit out a chicken bone that he had choked on which killed him. "I shouldn't have let Anne-Marie let me have that last bite..."

"Hi, Mr. Itchy." Patch smiled.

Itchy looked around. "Who said that?" he then looked to the Dalmatian puppy and adult German Shepherd. "Patch, Charlie, is that you...?" he then asked and smiled once he recognized them. "Patch! Charlie! It is you! Both of you!" he then smiled and hugged them both, very glad to see them.

"It's great to see you too, isn't it, Charlie?" Patch asked.

"Oh, Itch, you shouldn't have." Charlie said as he threw the chicken in the air and opened his mouth to catch it and eat it.

One of Annabelle's helpers took it before it could land however. "I'm sorry, sir, but you can't take it with you." he then reached into a cabinet to take out a halo and threw it over above Itchy's head.

"Welcome to Heaven, Mr. Itchy." Patch said.

"Wait a minute..." Itchy whispered like he didn't realize where he was right now. "Ain't you guys, uh... Dead?"

"Yeah," Charlie smiled. "As a dog who eats chicken bones."

"Ooh, so that means..." Itchy was slowly understanding and his green vest was replaced by an angel robe with his own wings.

"Yep." Patch nodded.

"How did you die, Patch?" Itchy asked.

Patch took a small breath. "I sacrificed myself to save my newest friend..." he explained gently. "I knew it was coming, but I did it for him."

"That was very noble of you." Itchy said.

"Thank you..." Patch said softly.

"Welcome to paradise, Itchy." Charlie welcomed his best friend. "Come on, I'll show you around... Mark your territory."

"Yeah, this place seems to have everything." Patch said.

Itchy's halo flew around his nose and he got it unstuck, it was a little too big for him. Since the services were done for the day, Gabriel's Horn was placed back in its display for no one to use except for it's rightful owner.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what should we show him first, Charlie?" Patch asked.

"Just come with me." Charlie took the lead since he had been in Heaven a far lot longer than they have.

Patch and Itchy began to follow Charlie during the whole tour. They passed various dogs having the time of their afterlives and living in a world where things could be however they wanted to be as Heaven was to those who were not yet there, but believed in it and it was very true.

"This place seems like a paradise." Patch said.

"Yeah, you could say that..." Charlie sighed softly as they passed one dog burying a bone in the cloud patches.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" Itchy asked. He looked to the other dog and chuckled as he was given his own personal geyser of bones. "Hey, guys, I feel different..."

"You're light on your feet, it happens in your new life." Patch said.

"No, I mean, for the first time in my life, I don't need to scratch," Itchy explained with a smile.

"This is Heaven, Itch," Charlie reminded. "Fleas go to the other place."

"Wow, good to know." Patch said.

"Finally, no pesky fleas." Itchy smiled.

Two other dogs were flying together and went down one cloudy patch together.

Itchy chuckled at the sight. "Everyone's flying... Does that mean... Me too?"

"Yep." Patch nodded.

Charlie then demonstrated as he walked ahead and flew in a perfect circle to show Itchy that anyone could fly up in Heaven.

Itchy laughed, very much enjoying that. "I'm gonna like it here, guys!"

"Believe me," Charlie advised. "It gets old fast."

"Well, none of this can ever make me feel any better of what I left behind." Patch sighed.

"Yeah, sure..." Itchy shrugged until he suddenly felt the floor move underneath his feet which made him move over to the two other dogs. "What do you mean anyway?"

"It's hard to explain, Itch..." Charlie said as they were gliding across the moving floor. "This joint is supposed to have everything... To be the best, but it's just too... I don't know..."

'I feel a song coming on.' Patch thought to himself.

"It's too heavenly here," Charlie started as they flew out from the cloudy mountain. "It's too peaceful and paradise like..."

Patch and Itchy followed him as they looked around the other dogs who didn't seem to have any problem or objections on ending their lives to end up in this world.

"Straight and Narrow and much too nice like, Endlessly sunny and clear, It's too heavenly here." Charlie sang.

Itchy was struggling with his flying as Patch and Charlie could do it as well as the others.

Patch winced when Itchy hit himself against a pillar and helped out the dog who was once his educator.

"It's too blissful to bear," Charlie continued as he took them into one room where there appeared to be dogs polishing halos. "Calm and quiet and much too mellow... All my brain cells have turned to Jell-O, Every day feels like a year, It's too heavenly here, I need some action, I need some juice, That crazy kind of feeling of playing fast loose..."

He had swiped a harp from a poodle as she was playing it and was now aggravated. Charlie then launched Itchy with the harp like a bow and arrow. Itchy spun from the pillar and accidentally knocked down the poodle.

"Some razzle dazzle," Charlie got excited for a moment. "And a little stars and strife, I gotta get some life in my life..."

The poodle glared as she took her harp back, storming off away from the three.

'Charlie really shouldn't have taken that harp from her' Patch thought to himself.

Heaven seemed nice and all, but Charlie just wanted more.

"There's no way you can be a sinner," Charlie told them as he made dice out of a couple of clouds and rolled them, reminiscent of his ways before he had died. "Roll the dice, Everyone's a winner!"

The dice came up as winning numbers and bones emerged from the clouds which excited Itchy and he started to collect them. Patch began to join in to get as many bones he could get.

"It's so legit and sincere~" Charlie went on, then saw them and grabbed them by their collars. "It's too Heavenly here." He continued running with them until he got all three of them into a chorus.

The chorus smiled as they sang, which seemed to highlight Charlie's personal thoughts and feelings toward this place called 'Heaven'.

'Sorry to interrupt this calm chorus.' Patch thought to himself.

"What good's a hustler without a scam?" Charlie rhetorically asked. "I'm wasted talent, That's all that I am! Well, this operator, ain't got no home address! 'Cuz there's nothing to finagle and no one to finness!"

The chorus then threw them down to a bath tub where there were angels that were cleaning and scrubbing as they enjoyed their home in Heaven.

"It's so Heavenly here~..." the angels sang as they cleaned, dried, and pampered Charlie, Itchy, and Patch. "Perfect and fine, so bright and shining... Every cloud has a silver lining... Everyone's full of good cheer, it's so Heavenly here~"

'Not everyone is happy.' Patch thought to himself as he saw Charlie not happy.

"They're all so saintly!" Charlie threw down his hair ribbon after he had been powdered up. "I just can't relate... There's gotta be an exit through that Pearly Gate! I might have done the crime, but I can't do the time! 'Cuz it's too heavenly here..."

"Charlie, calm down..." Patch said.

But Charlie didn't, he just kept singing. "All hallelujahs and hosannas, It could drive anyone bananas, I'm going out of my head this joint is deader than dead! I'll give you eight to three, It's too heavenly..."

"Hallelujah," the choir sang in the background. "Hallelujah, Hallelujah..."

"Too heavenly here!" Charlie finished his song as a cloud platform raised with him, Patch, and Itchy on it and there were suddenly fireworks.

Charlie was bitterly annoyed as Patch and Itchy enjoyed the fireworks, even if they were technically dead now.

Meanwhile on Earth...

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Anne-Marie..." Amber said as she and Darla sat next to their black-haired friend who was in mourning over Itchy like Atticus was about Patch.

"Truly sorry." Darla added.

"Thanks, guys..." Anne-Marie sadly sighed.

"But I'm sure Itchy is in a better place now." Amber assured her.

"It's my fault..." Anne-Marie felt heartbroken. "He begged me for my chicken leg at dinner last night... I shouldn't have let him have it... He'd still be here."

"He was begging, there wasn't anything you could have done after he did that dog trick." Darla said.

Anne-Marie covered her eyes as she started to cry. Darla and Amber hugged their poor formerly orphaned friend who now just lost her only pet after losing Charlie before she had been adopted.

While they were mourning, outside, the adults were inside talking.

"It's always hard to lose someone..." Emily said as she was making tea for the four of them. "I'm in much better shape now, but I think about my sister all the time."

"Poor girl..." Kate said. "She was an orphan and now she's lost two dogs..."

"Indeed..." Harold agreed. "She must be so crushed."

"Our son knows how she feels losing a pet." Patrick said.

"Indeed..." Emily sighed.

"How is Atticus taking it?" Harold asked.

"He's trying to keep busy, but it's obvious that there's a dark cloud over his head." Patrick replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Cherry, Atticus, and Mo were studying their uses of magic since their school homework was all done. Atticus could not concentrate however, his mind was quite obviously somewhere else. 

"Atticus, we have to study..." Cherry reminded. "We have a test coming up!"

"Sorry, sorry." Atticus frowned.

"I know you miss Patch, but we have to study," Cherry said to him. "Drell wants to see how much we've improved." 

"Let him alone." Mo told her since Atticus was in pain over the loss of Patch.

Atticus sighed softly. "I think I should make it up... I'm sure he'll understand..."

"Yeah, if YOU ask..." Cherry grumbled. "He'd just laugh at my pain and misery." 

"Who knows, maybe he will understand." Mo shrugged.

"Drell doesn't understand anything..." Cherry groaned before she yelled out. "WHY CAN'T HE ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM?!"

"Maybe because it's fun to mess with you." Drell said to the perky goth.

"Speak of the devil..." Cherry muttered as he came from nowhere again.

"Hello, ladies and gentleman..." Drell smiled to them as he stood right behind Cherry.

Cherry and Mo gave their greetings while Atticus was a little late in his.

"Uh, Drell, could I make up my test?" Atticus asked. "I-I know you hate rescheduling, but... If it isn't too much trouble... I just really miss Patch..." 

"I suppose I can reschedule your homework just this once." Drell said.

"Thank you..." Atticus said softly.

"Of course." Drell soothed.

"Uh, Drell, could I reschedule too?" Cherry asked with a sheepish chuckle. "My grandfather is in the hospital... A-A-And I'm worried about him... So, could I--" 

"Don't even think about it, Butler." Drell said.

"Okay, what gave it away?" Cherry asked.

"I happen to know your maternal grandfather died when your mother was in high school and your other grandfather died three years before you were born." Drell folded his arms. 

"Aw, kill me." Cherry groaned.

"Can we please stop talking about death?" Atticus begged. 

"Agreed." Mo said.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay..." Drell relaxed Atticus. "I promise you..."

"I hope you're right." Atticus said.

"When haven't I been right?" Drell asked.

Cherry opened her mouth.

"SHUT UP, DON'T YOU SAY A WORD!" Drell glared at her.

Cherry covered her mouth and looked back into her book.

Drell looked to Cherry and Mo. "I think Atticus needs some alone time."

Cherry and Mo agreed and decided to get going.

"I expect you both to be ready for your upcoming test," Drell reminded them. "And be ready for San Francisco." 

"We'll be ready, Drell." Mo said.

"Are you sure we can't reschedule?" Cherry asked.

"Study, study..." Drell told her. 

Cherry sighed as she left with Mo. "He's never gonna like me..." 

"Maybe, maybe not." Mo shrugged.

"I swear, he just wants me around so he can laugh at me..." Cherry grumbled. 

"I'm sure that's not it at all." Mo said.

"Whatever... Sometimes I just wanna give him a taste of his own medicine..." Cherry mumbled.

The perky goth came home as she was alone in her bedroom.

"Dumb old Drell..." Cherry sighed as she sat in her chair after stacking up her books and papers on her magical powers. "Sometimes I just wanna show him I'm just as powerful as he can be... I'll show him someday..." 

"Would you like that day to be soon?" A voice asked.

"You bet," Cherry sat up slightly, then looked around. "Uhh... Who said that?"

'Do not worry, my dear, I mean you know harm.' The voice said.

"Okay, Forte, this is really getting old..." Cherry folded her arms.

'I am not Forte...' the voice told her. 'I can get you whatever you want... Power... Money... Stature...'

"I'd like Drell to suffer for once..." Cherry rolled her eyes. "I doubt you know him, but he's a real big-shot and always picks on me!"

'I can make him suffer for you.' The voice said.

"Uhh..." Cherry rubbed her hands together sheepishly.

'You just have to make sure I get what I want first...' the voice said. 'I require Gabriel's Horn...'

"What is a gabriel horn?" Cherry asked.

'Gabriel's horn is a special horn that can open any door, including the gates to Heaven.' The voice said.

"Uhh... Why do you want it...?" Cherry asked.

'ARE YOU IN OR OUT!?' the voice snapped at her.

Cherry winced from the sudden sharpness and loudness of the mysterious voice. "Okay, okay, what do I have to do?!"

'Go to San Francisco.' The voice told her.

"All right..." Cherry said. "Going there anyway..."

'There is a fee though...' the voice told her. 

Cherry put her hand in her pocket and took out a couple of dollars and a few coins. "Uhh... I'm kinda broke..."

'Not that kind of fee,' The voice said. 'I'm meaning your soul.'

"My soul...?" Cherry asked. "I-I-I don't know... I..."

'Don't you want to see that miserable warlock pay for the misery he's made you go through?' the voice asked her. 

"Well, yeah..." Cherry admitted with a small smile at the thought of Drell being miserable.

'So?' The voice asked.

"Is he gonna find out?" Cherry clenched her teeth.

'He'll be brushed off in the background...' the voice told her. 'Just go along with what I say and you'll be fine... Have we got a deal?'

Cherry gulped. "Fair enough..."

'Then the deal is struck.' The voice said.

"Okay, uh, who are you...?" Cherry asked as she felt slightly nervous.

'Just call me 'Red', my dear.' The voice told her.

"Uh... Okay... 'Red'..." Cherry blinked. 

'I'll see you soon... Just remember our deal...' Red told her. 'I'll be watching over you...'

"Goody..." Cherry sounded nervous now.

Soon she didn't hear anything else.

"That was weird..." Cherry said as she decided to get ready to go for the trip so whenever Drell would be ready, she would too because he said they would leave as soon as he would be ready and no exceptions.

While she got ready, Atticus was having some alone time to himself, but could feel someone was watching him.

"You can come out, Drell." Atticus sighed.

Drell materialized himself, then walked over to the boy he obviously favored over more than any other private student he had. "You okay?"

"Just leave me alone..." Atticus looked the other way.

"Hey... It's gonna be okay..." Drell promised. "I'd never let anything hurt you."

"I just can't get over this bad feeling that something bad is happening." Atticus said.

"Terrible..." Drell muttered.

Atticus glanced.

'Terrible..." Drell then said with a slight echo in his voice. "TERRIBLE!!!" he then yelled which nearly shook the house.

"STOP! That's making me worry even more." Atticus said as his voice shook the house even more when he yelled 'stop'.

"Sorry..." Drell smiled nervously.

Atticus was about to say something else until his eyes glowed, showing him two visions, one of something that was happening and one that was going to happen.

"Oh, boy!" Drell grabbed some popcorn, then grabbed Atticus's shoulder so he could watch the boy's vision with him.

The both of them saw that they were in Heaven and saw a familiar dog that Atticus never thought would end up in Heaven.

"Carface?" Atticus asked.

"That's right, you've met him, right?" Drell asked.

Atticus glanced to the warlock. "Wait, why are you here?"

Drell sipped his soda like he was in a movie theater. "I always love a good show."

Atticus simply rolled his eyes before they both saw what Carface was doing. "He cannot be serious." he said.

"Looks like it..." Drell said as he continued to sip his soda.

Carface was breaking into a forbidden zone of Heaven and went to the stand that concealed a most prized possession.

"Are you familiar with Gabriel's Horn of canine heaven, Atticus?" Drell quizzed.

"It can open any door, including Heaven's Gates and in the wrong hands, it could bring down every dog from Heaven back down to Earth, it could even bring Annabelle down to Earth." Atticus said.

"Correct," Drell nodded. 

"What does this have to do with San Francisco?" Atticus asked, remembering that the warlock wanted him, Mo, and Cherry to come down to the golden gated city.

"There is an evil one who is hiding out there..." Drell said. "Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time tracking him down."

Carface was able to successfully steal the famous horn and began to run off to the Heaven's Gates to escape. He started to blow the horn to open the gates and make his escape. The gates began to twist and turn, but didn't open at first.

"I know someone who needs a music lesson..." Drell deadpanned.

Carface tried again and the doors open, only to about an inch. He then rushed to the doors, but they closed right onto his face before he could even get out. Carface tried once more and the doors opened more slightly and he tried to slide out through the golden gates, he squeezed through and used the halo to keep the doors open and was about to pop out to the other side of the gates and was now on cloudy ledge that brought deceased dogs from their unfortunate demise and into the eternal afterlife of Heaven. Carface, feeling pleased with himself, placed the horn on the edge of the cloud while getting his white robe off.

As he did, he accidentally knocked the horn off and he realized that and yelled out. "This is not good!" he got his robe all the way off and then jumped down after the horn, going through the dark tunnel which was what many saw right before they would die.

Atticus and Drell were then sent into the future of something that would happen, but would not be a pretty sight as they saw a big, red, evil cat holding Gabriel's horn.

"Is that a cat?" Atticus asked.

"Mm-hmm~..." Drell slowly nodded.

The big, red, evil cat laughed evilly as he began to blow the horn, bringing down all of the dogs from Heaven back down to Earth and where they even saw Patch and Charlie fighting off to keep him from using it anymore.

"I hope this vision comes true..." Atticus said. "About the good guys winning, I mean..."

"Don't you always?" Drell smiled.

"Yeah," Atticus smiled back before they both see Patch and Charlie wearing red collars from the cat. "Wait, what're those collars?"

"I'm afraid I don't know..." Drell replied.

The collars seemed to tighten around Patch's and Charlie's necks. Atticus kept trying to see more as Drell munched on his popcorn. Unfortunately, it ended right then and there.

Atticus's eyes squeezed shut and he ended up back in his bedroom. "Oh, no..."

"I know," Drell pouted. "I'm out of popcorn."

"DRELL, THIS IS SERIOUS!" Atticus yelled, causing the whole house to shake.

"Sorry again..." Drell said then.

Atticus rolled his eyes, then looked to him. "Is this why we need to go to San Francisco?"

"Yes, that and that street boy..." Drell said. "He's losing faith quickly and he needs a guardian angel, he refuses to go home to his father and step-mother."

"Then we better go as soon as possible." Atticus said.

"Exactly..." Drell said as he popped some candy in his mouth then. "I highly suggest you pack, I'll be coming for you guys when you least expect it." He was about to leave when he saw that Patrick was there and where he remembered the times that he hated the strong warlock's unexpected entrances.

"Hi, Drell,..." Patrick greeted.

"Hey, Patty." Drell greeted back teasingly.

This caused Atticus to laugh, still finding it funny that Drell still called his father 'Patty'. Drell smirked and winked to that.

Patrick rolled his eyes to that. "Very funny..."

"Oh, and Dad, how have you been doing with your incredible strength?" Atticus smirked, knowing that would possibly make his dad and Drell even.

"Wonderful, thank you for asking." Patrick laughed. "I feel strong as Adonis."

"I'm sorry, what's that?" Drell glanced at him. "I know you did not just say that!"

"Just did..." Patrick folded his arms. "Jealous, much?"

"Yes, yes, I am, but there's no way your muscles are bigger than mine." Drell smirked, flexing one of his arms.

"I can still face you better than I used to." Patrick challenged. He flexed one of his arms as well, showing that his muscles were bigger than Drell's.

"Then shall we, Patty?" Drell challenged.

"Bring it..." Patrick said before smirking. "'Drelly Bean'."

"Oh, that is it!" Drell glared as they were about to start.

Atticus smiled halfway, but sighed as he looked out the window and looked up to the clouds. He knew Patch was going to be okay, but he still had a cold and empty gaping hole in his heart due to the loss of his true best friend as dogs were man's best friend.

Patrick and Drell began to wrestle and where with his incredible strength thanks to his son, Patrick was able to overpower Drell. 

"How do you like them crab apples?" Patrick smirked as he was on top of Drell.

"Cursed Wiccans..." Drell gritted through his teeth in defeat, then smirked slightly. "Ya ever consider running for the council?"

"No, thank you." Patrick said.

Drell groaned out of defeat.

Patrick got off of him. "Sorry, I'm not interested, it's a nice offer though."

"It's okay," Drell stood up and dusted himself clean. "Maybe when Penelope gets older, she'll be more mature."

"Penelope?" Patrick asked.

"Oh, sorry, I guess we haven't spoken in a while," Drell said. "Penelope's my daughter."

"I didn't know you had a daughter..." Patrick said.

Drell smiled nervously. "I didn't know myself until she ended up on my doorstop..."

"Guess your wife forgot to call you and tell you about you having a daughter." Patrick said.

"Uh... Well..." Drell rubbed his arm nervously. "I was kinda mad at Hilda one night for standing me up for a date night... I got really depressed, so I went to the tavern and I got a little intoxicated... A little while later, I met a woman named Jezebel who wanted to 'rock my world'... I allowed her to, but since I'm kinda neglectful, I left her the very next morning and I guess I did more than just sleep over at her place."

"Yeah, seems so." Patrick said.

Drell sighed.

"How is Hilda?" Patrick asked.

"She's doing great." Drell said.

Patrick smiled.

"I finally moved out of my parents' basement..." Drell bit his lip. "I should've done it centuries ago."

"Yes, you should've..." Patrick said, then looked to his mourning son and sighed softly.

"I'll give you both a moment alone." Drell said as he left the room.

"Thank you." Patrick said.

Drell nodded and took his leave, a little jealous of the father and son moment.

'Why do I have this feeling that cat is more than just a normal cat?' Atticus thought to himself.

"Atticus?" Patrick called, standing next to his son. "Are you okay?"

"Dad, I had a vision and it was both about what's happening in Heaven and what's going to happen in San Francisco." Atticus told him.

"You had a vision from Heaven?" Patrick asked. "I didn't know you could do that."

Atticus told his father about the vision/visions he had. Patrick nodded.

"That cat didn't seem normal..." Atticus said. 

"Maybe it was from... Pardon my language... But... Hell..." Patrick suggested.

"Well, it was bigger than any cat and it was all red and it looked like it had horns almost." Atticus said.

"I think that cat was from Hell..." Patrick said. "I mean... That sounds almost like the Devil to me."

"That would explain his glowing red eyes." Atticus said.

"This isn't good..." Patrick shook his head.

"I'm sure we'll make it out alive," Atticus said. "And as for those red collars, I don't know why, but they're bad news."

"I'm certain they are if you had a vision about them..." Patrick said.

Atticus then looked curious. "Say, Dad... Where do I get my visions from?" he then asked. "You or Mom?"

"From me, I had the same ability you have and I still have it once in a while, just like you." Patrick said.

"I thought maybe it was from you..." Atticus said.

"Did ya 'see' that comin'?" Patrick attempted to joke.

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny," Atticus smiled. "So when you had visions, were most of them scary?"

"Oh, no doubt..." Patrick said. "Especially when I was around your age... I usually had them whenever I would go to sleep and it was like something deep down was tyring to warn me about something. I then found out I had visions and that I was right to worry, but luckily for me, everything turned out for the better."

"Well, I'm glad it did," Atticus smiled before challenging his father. "You wanna arm wrestle or just plain wrestle?"

"Oh, Atticus, you're experiencing heartbreak and grief, are you sure you wanna do this?" Patrick asked.

"It'll help take my mind off it." Atticus said.

Patrick shrugged. "Okay, let's arm wrestle."

"Right, Dad." Atticus agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Drell sighed as he left Patrick and Atticus to their own moment. He looked a little heartbroken.

"Drell, do you mind if I talk with you for a moment?" Emily asked.

"Erm,... Emily... Hello..." Drell glanced to the dark blonde woman.

"Please?" Emily asked.

"Uh, okay..." Drell shrugged. "What's up?"

"I saw that look on your face, you really wanted to spend sometime with Atticus, didn't you?" Emily asked.

Drell smiled sheepishly. "He's like the son I never had..."

"We know that was one of the reasons why we sent him and Patch over to you to stay with you for a while." Emily said.

"Yeah..." Drell remembered that with a small sigh. "I kinda wish he was my son... He's a lot like me..."

"Yes, I know, they both are like you at times." Emily said.

Drell ruffled up Emily's hair. "Congratulations, you gave birth to a savior."

"Yes, I know." Emily said, fixing her hair.

"I guess I better get going then..." Drell said. 

"How about a cup of coffee?" Emily offered. "You look like you could use some."

Drell looked over curiously. "Well... Okay... Just one cup."

"Cream and or sugar?" Emily asked.

"Just cream for now," Drell said as he sat down. "I'm trying to watch myself around too many sweets."

Emily then poured him a cup of coffee and put some cream in it while Drell saw a picture of the entire Fudo family and which made him curious of where Jessica was.

"Uh, Emily?" Drell asked.

"Hm?" Emily glanced to him as she stirred in the cream for him. 

"Where's Jessica?" Drell asked.

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Emily replied. "She's in college now."

"That's great, she must be in a good college." Drell said.

"Oh, yes," Emily smiled. "Jessie goes to a very special university."

"Being your and Patty's daughter, I wouldn't be soon." Drell smiled.

Emily hid a giggle to his nickname for her husband and gave him his cup. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Drell took the cup and gently sipped from it.

And where to him, it was very tasty.

"Wow, you really know how to make a man a good cup of coffee." Drell smiled.

"Why, thank you." Emily smiled gratefully.

They then felt the house shake, telling one of the Fudo men upstairs lost.

"Looks like you win, Dad." Atticus said.

"Good match, son," Patrick smiled. "You feeling better?"

"I sure am, but I think this time it should be two against one, you and Drell against me, I like unfair matches at times." Atticus smiled.

"How about some ice cream first?" Patrick offered.

"Okay, ice cream first." Atticus said.

Patrick ruffled up Atticus's hair and walked downstairs with him to get some celebratory ice cream.

"So who won?" Drell asked, startling the two of them.

Atticus and Patrick jolted slightly.

"Hello." Drell smirked.

"Uh, I won..." Patrick replied.

"Yeah, this time, I couldn't beat him." Atticus said.

"Congratulations, Pat." Drell praised.

"Thanks, Drell." Patrick smiled.

"Don't sweat it." Drell continued to sip his coffee.

"Enjoying my wife's famous coffee?" Patrick smiled.

"Oh, yes, very much..." Drell said. "Those idiot dandruff brained goblins always screw it up back home!"

"I'll give you the recipe then." Emily said.

"Much obliged." Drell smiled.

Emily smiled back to him. Atticus and Patrick then had their ice cream.

Atticus then heard his cell phone ring, he saw it was his older sister, so he answered it. "Hey, Jessie."

"Hey, Atticus..." Jessica replied softly. "I heard about Patch... How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing a little better." Atticus said.

"Sorry I couldn't be there..." Jessica said. "Just remember to keep your head up and Patch is probably watching over you right now with Aunt Athena."

"Thanks, Jessica," Atticus smiled. "How's school?"

"A bit challenging, but I'm holding on." Jessica said.

"Don't worry, you're a smart girl, it'll get better." Atticus comforted.

"I'll try..." Jessica sighed. "You try it someday."

"I always do." Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, yeah..." Jessica laughed.

Atticus laughed with her. "We're about to have some ice cream, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, I got midterms to study for, I'll be home before you know it though, see ya later." Jessica replied.

"See you later, Sis." Atticus smiled.

"See ya." Jessica said before hanging up.

"I didn't get to talk to her," Drell pouted. "Shoot..."

"Maybe next time, you will." Atticus said.

"Hmph..." Drell shrugged as he sipped his coffee.

While that was going on, Patch seemed to enjoy flying in the air, but still felt sad about leaving those he loved on Earth. It seemed to had become night time in Heaven as the other dogs were lounging about and enjoying their eternal afterlife.

"Charlie, you're wrong about this place." Itchy said as he grew to love this place like the others.

"This place does have everything that a dog could ever want, but not quite everything." Patch said.

"For me, there's still something missing." Charlie added, not sure himself, but he knew it was out there somewhere.

A glowing pink bubble was flying around which alerted the other dogs.

"Oh, Charlie," Itchy pointed. "Look! Look!"

The dogs clamored, wondering what was wrong.

"Quiet, quiet, everyone," Annabelle told the dogs as she appeared before them. "I've got terrible news!"

"What's wrong, Annabelle?" Patch asked.

Charlie grumbled once he saw the pink whippet.

"Gabriel's Horn has ended up out of our hands and ended up on Earth," Annabelle explained urgently. "In the heart of the land of San Francisco."

Many dogs reacted in horror and dismay.

"But without the horn, the Pearly Gates can't get open!" a big dog commented.

"A-A-And no dogs will get into Heaven." a tiny schnauzer added, fearfully.

"Lucky dogs." Charlie scoffed.

"Annabelle, please send me back down to Earth to get it back, please." Patch begged.

"Okay, but I will be sending someone with you." Annabelle said.

"Go back?" Charlie liked the sound of that.

"Reggie, I would like you to go with him." Annabelle said.

One of the dogs came over and cleared his throat. "Annabelle, I consider it a most grateful hon--"

"Whoa, time out!" Charlie dashed over, picking up the plucky dog. "You can't send Reggie, just look at him for Heaven's sake! They got rats down there bigger than this."

"He's right," the bigger dog came over. "I'll go."

"I'm sorry, but I think I need someone who has experience in San Fransisco," Patch told them. "That's why I want Charlie and Mr. Itchy to come with me."

"Maybe it would be good for Charles to do something other than to make a nuisance of himself." Annabelle replied. 

"All right, let's go!" Charlie was eager to leave.

"Now, to find the horn, follow your ears..." Annabelle warned/reminded. "It gives off a steady, heavenly tone that only angels can hear."

"Angels, got it!" Charlie then hopped off.

"Oh, wait, wait," Annabelle stopped him. "I can give you one miracle to use only in emergency." she then waved her paw which made a sparkle ball appear and was blessed upon the German Shepherd.

"One per customer... Got it..." Charlie tried to go again.

"Charles, Charles, CHARLES!" Annabelle called once again. "This is serious! If the horn falls into the wrong hands, it could be disaster for us all!"

"You can count on Charles." Charlie mumbled, accidentally getting his and Annabelle's halo attached to each other.

"And just to be sure we get this job done, Mr. Itchy really will be coming with us." Patch said.

"Just to make sure." Annabelle agreed.

"M-M-Me!?" Itchy panicked. "But I just got here! Wait just a second, I still have death lag!" Suddenly, he was floating up in the air as Charlie was ditching his halo, robe, and wings, as he was anxious to come back down to Earth.

Patch did the same, but kept his watch on him.

"Yahoo!" Charlie cheered as he went down the dark tunnel to send him down to Earth and straight out of Heaven.

"I just remembered!" Itchy cried. "I have flying lessons after lunch!"

Annabelle didn't want to hear it, she took off his robe and halo, making Itchy fall after Charlie and Patch. "Bring back the horn, Charles!" she warned Charlie in specific due to how troublesome he usually was. "Or the price will be Heaven to pay!"

"Got it!" Charlie called back.

"We won't fail you, Annabelle!" Patch included.

And where they would arrive there at the same time the others would arrive.


	5. Chapter 5

"Poor Anne-Marie..." Darla sighed about one of her friends in total distress after the loss of Itchy. "I wish there was something I could do."

"Is everyone ready?" Drell asked.

Darla looked down from the staircase as she was in her bedroom.

"I'm ready." Atticus said as he showed some of his stuff.

"Same here." Patrick and Emily said.

"Me as well." Cherry told him.

"Ah, Cherry..." Drell greeted. "Nice to see you're on time for a change."

Cherry chuckled nervously. "Does this mean you're gonna be nice to me?"

"Maybe, anyway, let's get going by magic." Drell said.

"Awesome!" Atticus beamed.

"Wait!" Darla called. "Who's going to take care of me?"

"Cherry's mother of course." Drell told her.

"What do you know about my mother!?" Cherry freaked out.

"Easy!" Drell glared at her.

Cherry folded her arms, mumbling.

"She'll be watching over you while the rest off us are in San Francisco." Drell said.

"Okay..." Darla said with a small pout.

"Be on your best behavior, Darla," Emily reminded, though she trusted that the blonde girl would, she had been what she was believed to be ever since she had been adopted. "Go to bed on time and no sweets after 8:00."

"Yes, ma'am." Darla replied, respectively.

"Good, just wanted to remind you." Emily said.

"Of course." Darla agreed.

"We'll catch up with you later, Darla, be good." Patrick added.

"Yes, sir." Darla nodded to him then.

"All right, enough of the Happy Sunshine Family Time Hour, let's go!" Drell clapped his hands together. "We're burning daylight!"

After saying their goodbyes, the Fudo family left with Cherry and Drell with the help of magic. Darla waved and went off to her bedroom after they left and waited for Cherry's mother to come over to look after her.

Mo was coming down the stairs of her own home and looked to see Lady was in tears. "Lady... Lady, what's wrong?" she asked the cocker spaniel mother.

Lady sniffled and wiped her teary eye with her paw. "Colette's run away from home."

"What?!" Mo asked. "Where could she have run off to?"

"I don't know..." Lady frowned deeply. "Tramp, Jock, and Trusty are looking for her."

"We better join in." Mo said.

"Only if you want to..." Lady said, feeling heartbroken.

"Come on," Mo said to the mother dog. "Let's go look for her."

They then went out the house to find the missing puppy.

Colette was now going through one of the tunnels leading the Pound Puppies headquarters. It was a quiet day so far, but not for long. Colette yelped as she flopped on her face and groaned as she ended up in the middle of a floor. 

"I think we have an intruder." Niblet said.

"Ooh, lemme at 'em!" Squirt looked ready to fight. "Lemme at 'em!" He soon saw it was just Colette AKA Patch's girlfriend.

"Um... Hello..." the female cocker spaniel teenage puppy greeted.

Squirt squinted his eyes. "You look familiar..."

"I'm Colette." She told him.

"Ohh, yeah, you're Patch's girl, right?" Squirt asked.

"That would be me..." Colette blushed slightly under her fur.

"Sorry about that, girly," Squirt smiled then. "Let's get you inside, you should be fine."

Colette followed the chihuahua inside as she looked all around in wonder.

"Now this is odd," Strudel said while looking at her screen. "How could he be there?"

"What's the scoop, Strudel?" Cookie asked as she came to the genius dog's side.

"My newest invention, the ghost/angel detector, says there are three angels heading into San Francisco and you won't believe who is one if them." Strudel said.

"Ghost/Angel Detector?" Colette asked. "Erm.... Who are the ghosts/angels?"

"Well, one of them is Patch." Strudel said.

Colette pouted at Patch's name. 

"The others and him are on their way for the city for something very important..." Strudel said from her readings.

"Must be something important if three of them are going down to Earth." Cookie said.

"I'll try to find anything on that..." Strudel said.

"Does it concern any of us?" Niblet asked. 

"Let me check first." Strudel replied.

"Alright." Squirt said.

Colette came over to Cookie and Strudel. "Um, hello."

The female boxer and weenie dog looked down to the teenage cocker spaniel. 

"Heh..." Colette grinned nervously.

"Don't worry, this is the kid's girl." Squirt said, referring to Patch when he said 'kid'.

"Oh, this is the famous Colette..." Cookie smiled warmly then.

"It's very nice to meet you, ma'am." Colette said while curtsying.

"You are very adorable and precious." Cookie smiled.

"Oh, stop..." Colette giggled sheepishly.

"She's almost like one of them pampered dogs." Squirt said.

"Well, her mother is Lady..." Cookie commented.

Colette looked curiously to the screen, coming to Strudel's side. "Things haven't been the same without Patch... Is he coming down from Heaven?"

"Yes, Heaven is in fact true," Strudel replied. "I didn't believe it myself until I've found these readings on my detector."

"So, why is he with two other angels coming down to Earth?" Colette asked.

Strudel checked her reading. "Apparently they have their own task at hand..."

"Must be something very important." Lucky said.

"I miss Patch..." Colette bowed her head. "It broke my heart when we found out..."

"Same here, kid." The border collie frowned.

"According to these readings, they are coming down to Earth to retrieve Gabriel's Horn." Strudel said.

"Gabriel's Horn?" Colette asked.

"According to the legends, Gabriel's Horn is played by Gabriel himself and the Pearly Gates open to welcome new dogs who have died into Heaven," Strudel said. "They say all dogs go to heaven because unlike people, dogs are naturally good-natured."

"So, what happens if it falls into the wrong hands?" Colette asked.

"Terrible things could happen..." Strudel's eyes widened in urgency and alarm. "No new dogs wouldn't be able to get into Heaven... The horn can open ANY doors, not just the Heavenly Gates..."

"Wow." Colette said.

"We better help them find the horn then." Lucky said.

"Only some of us may see them though," Strudel said. "Those who believe in ghosts and angels will be able to see them."

"I believe in angels." Colette said.

Strudel looked to her and lightly hummed. "Colette... You may not be an offical Pound Puppy, but since you know Patch better than any of us... Perhaps you'd like to visit San Francisco?"

"Yes, please." Colette smiled.

"I'll go with her, I believe in angels as well, besides, Dot brings me with her whenever her family takes her to church on Sundays." Lucky said.

"Is that right?" Niblet asked.

"Yes, very much so..." Lucky nodded.

Colette smiled admirably to Lucky.

"Okay, anyone else before I send these two to San Francisco?" Strudel asked.

"I'll go too." Cookie offered.

"Anyone else?" Strudel asked.

The other dogs did not respond which meant it would be up to Cookie, Strudel, and Colette as a new recruit. 

"All right then," Strudel gave a nod. "Colette, you will be an honorary Pound Puppy for today."

"Thank you, ma'am, you won't regret it." Colette smiled.

"I'm sure I won't." Strudel smiled back. 

Cookie, Lucky, and Colette were then set to make it to San Francisco for their special mission. And where they got there by Strudel's teleportation system.

"Welcome to San Francisco," Drell told the people he brought with him. "Where the world could end in this very city with an angelic heirloom because of a satanic beast."

"Are my eyes tricking me or do I see three dogs coming down from Heaven?" Atticus asked.

"What dogs?" Cherry asked.

"No, they aren't, they're in fact, coming down." Drell replied.

"WHAT DOGS?!" Cherry asked, a little louder. 

The clouds opened up and there were three dogs coming down and they skid across the road slightly. 

"Oh." Cherry said then.

"And look at who one of the dog is." Patrick told his son.

Atticus took a look and saw a familiar teenaged Dalmatian. "Patch!"

"Wait, stop," Charlie told the puppy. "Smell that? Trash... Exhaust fumes... Graffiti... We are home!"

A tram came up behind the three dogs which made them scream and luckily get out of the way before they could get run over.

"You're tellin' me." Itchy scoffed.

Charlie sniffed the air and became instantly hungry. "Hello, double chili cheeseburger with onions and pickles..."

"Which way?" Patch asked.

"I know where I'm goin'." Charlie grinned eagerly.

Itchy didn't like it, he rushed in front of his best friend. "Charlie, stay!" he commanded like a dominant human. "Look, we find Gabriel's Horn and then it's straight back to Heaven, okay?"

"What's the hurry, Itch?" Charlie shrugged. "Let's have some fun!"

"I agree, Mr. Itchy, what's the rush?" Patch asked before he ran off and jumped into Atticus's arms. He seemed to quickly drop however.

"Patch!" Itchy cried for his former Puppy School star student who had a tearful reunion with his owner.

"That was weird, how come I didn't end up in Atticus's arms?" Patch asked.

Atticus suddenly shivered.

"You okay?" Cherry asked.

"Just got a cold chill..." Atticus replied.

"Oh, no, we must not be able to touch anyone." Patch said.

"Patch, come over here!" Itchy called. "Help me get Charlie! Oh, my legs are short..."

Patch rushed right over to catch up, sadly looking back to Atticus. Atticus had the same look, but decided to come along with him.

"Drell, please tell me you reserved a hotel for us..." Emily said.

"Is a motel the same thing?" Drell asked.

"Oh, suuuure," Cherry deadpanned. "If you wanna live in a crappy room with bugs, filth, and low quality cable..."

"Oh, um, then I'm sorry, but I didn't reserve a hotel." Drell said.

Cherry groaned and hit her head against a building. "Idiot..."

"Excuse me?" Drell asked in a firm tone.

"Oh, n-nuthin'!" Cherry grinned nervously.

"Where did Atticus go?" Emily asked.

"He was right here..." Patrick said with a small frown.

"Come on, let me show you the motel." Drell led the way.

"First, we gotta find Atticus." Patrick said.

"I'm sure he's fine..." Drell shrugged.

"Listen, buddy," Cherry glared at Drell, attempting to stand up for herself against him. "I've known Atticus since before I even want to remember, he is not a normal kid, he'll get himself in trouble if he's not too careful, so you're gonna shut up and let me go after him, got it!?"

Drell glared down at her, but then released a sigh. "Okay, we'll all go and look for him."

Cherry stuck her tongue out then.

"If we didn't have any witnesses, I'd give you a tall, cool glass of SOCKED IN THE GUT!" Drell grinned darkly, holding her by her collar as he threatened her with his fist, not caring that she was a girl.

The four of them then went to find Atticus and where they all saw him going inside a dog-like saloon after convincing the guard at the entrance to allow him in.


	6. Chapter 6

"I.D?" one of the dog guards with spiked collars snarled at a next entry.

"I don't need no stinkin' dog tag!" the obvious rat replied, trying to pass as a dog.

The other dog guard picked up the rat and sniffed him, then chucked him all the way to the back, not letting him into the establishment.

"As for you, kid, we'll make an exception for you and anyone that is your family or friend." The second guard dog said to Atticus.

"Heh... Lucky me..." Atticus chuckled nervously.

"Including pets." The first guard dog told him.

"Oh... Umm... Thank you..." Atticus said softly due to the mention of pets.

"Dogs..." Cherry groaned as she saw the several dogs. "I'm not much of a dog person."

"You better not let the guard dogs know." Drell whispered.

Cherry shuddered and winced. Atticus came in with Drell, Patrick, and Emily just as Patch, Charlie, and Itchy arrived.

"Charlie, we have to tell you something." Patch said.

"Don't worry, kid, stick with us," Charlie replied coolly. "Classy place, they check for worms... Nice toss, big guy." he then said to the guard who tossed the rat as they went into the dog night club.

Itchy glanced back and stayed close to Charlie as they were allowed in.

There was a scrawny dog in a cowboy hat with a banjo who was playing a very slow and ongoing song, he wasn't very good, and the dogs who watched him looked very bored and near death.

"Wow, these dogs look like they want to die." Patch said.

"Full house!" one dog laughed as he won a poker game against his buddies and howled in victory. "Guess that's why they call me 'Lucky'."

"Lucky's a more common name for dogs than I remember..." Patch mumbled, first he has a brother named that, then a father figure, and now this stranger.

"All right, boys, name your game," Charlie wanted in. "Poker, Double Dues, Card Pick-Up? I'm just yankin' your leash..." he then looked thirsty as he saw a waiter walk by with a dish of frothy mugged drinks. "Hold that thought." he said before going to the bar to place a drink order.

"Charlie, we really need to talk to you." Patch said.

It's okay, I'm older than I look," Charlie said as he came to the bar and waved his paw in the air. "Hey, bartender! How 'bout a frosty one for the Chuckmeister?"

Itchy came over to their sides.

"Root beer, Itch?" Charlie offered as another dog raised his paw and the bartender slid the glass down the table and the other dog took it and drank it which infuriated the German Shepherd. "Yo, barkeep!"

No one even reacted to Charlie's outburst.

"What am I, invisible?" Charlie scoffed before sliding onto the bar table to get a drink. "I'll just help myself!" he then tried to drink the root beer, but he found that the liquid was going right through him.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Patch told him. "We're like ghosts down here."

"Annabelle..." Charlie lowly growled before slamming his paws on the table. "Of all the rotten tricks!"

"Charles, you've been down there for almost half an hour..." Annabelle appeared on a glass, scolding the German Shepherd. "We're waiting!"

"We just got here Annabelle, give us some more time, okay?" Patch asked.

"Time waits for no one." Annabelle said.

Charlie was annoyed with the whippet so he blew the fizz over the glass which cast down on Annabelle. Annabelle coughed and sputtered as the suds made her fade away. Patch glared at Charlie for that.

"She got on my nerves." Charlie defended.

Patch sighed and rolled his eyes. The scrawny dog was yodeling until he was pulled away by a hook. The dogs stared and the only sound close to clapping was a dog trying to kill a pesky flea that was bugging him and finally got rid of it and smiled.

"Thanks, Wiggles!" the dog announcer said as he took out a microphone and card. "Ya really knocked 'em dead... And now, let's have a warm round of applause for our next contestant: Miss Sasha LaFleur."

This caused for the male dogs to cheer and whistle. The lights were set as a silhouette of a female dog appeared with very light singing. And where it seemed to attract all the male dogs in the room. Except for Patch, he did like the singing, but he wasn't gaga over it like the others were.

Many of the other dogs woke up and saw the singer. She was a very beautiful Irish setter with emerald green eyes who looked as beautiful as she could sing. And where Charlie looked at the mirror, seeing the female Irish setter, feeling an emotion he had never felt before.

"Baby~" Sasha sang as she fluffed up her fur seductively. "Count me out~"

Charlie gushed dreamily as he flopped between the stools, falling head over paws in love with the female Irish Setter.

Lucky, Colette, and Cookie appeared next to the head over paws in love Shepherd.

"She's really got to work on that teleportation." Lucky groaned.

"At least we passed security." Colette whispered.

Charlie was too engrossed by Sasha to notice anything else around him and even tried to go to the female Irish Setter, forgetting that she wouldn't be able to see or hear him.

"Colette?" Patch smiled.

Colette looked around.

"You okay?" Lucky asked.

"I could've sworn I heard someone calling my name,..." Colette pouted.

"Colette, I'm right here!" Patch said.

That definitely caught the three dogs' attention as they all looked to the direction they heard his voice. 

"Patch?" Colette tried to follow the Dalmatian's voice which made Cookie and Lucky follow her.

"Colette, I'm right here." Patch said.

Colette looked and saw Patch was right in front of her. 

"Patch!" Colette called with her eyes twinkling.

Patch smiled to her as their eyes met. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

Sasha was getting deep into her song and Charlie tried to kiss her, but he just went right through her due to being a ghost. Colette was about to embrace Patch, but the same thing happened which made her fall flat on the floor.

"Oops, sorry, I forgot to tell you that for some reason, we can't touch each other." Patch said.

"Patch, I can't believe you're here," Colette was overjoyed regardless. "I knew it had to be a sick, cruel joke when they said you were dead!"

Patch went over to her and where his paws went through her as he tried to hug her.

Colette noticed that and looked to Patch. "It's true...?" her voice cracked slightly.

"I'm sorry, Colette..." Patch replied. "But it's true... I died sacrificing myself for my newest friend's life..."

"Stitch, right?" Colette asked.

"Right," Patch nodded. "He was really called 'Experiment 626', but Lilo named him Stitch."

"I'm glad she did, that way, we wouldn't always call him '626'." Colette smiled.

"Hey, Patch, I found a way for us to become visible." Charlie smiled.

"Huh?" Patch looked over.

"I don't like this, Charlie..." Itchy frowned.

"Just trust me, okay?" Charlie glanced down at his friend, then back to the Dalmatian puppy. "Come on, Carface is waiting for us."

"Carface is here?" Patch asked.

"Yeah, and his friend has some special collars that will help us." Charlie smiled.

"Can my owner and his friend, his family, and father figure, and my girlfriend, and father figure, and mother figure come along?" Patch asked.

Charlie shrugged. "It's all right with me."

"Great." Patch smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

After getting Atticus, Cherry, Patrick, Emily, Colette, Lucky, Cookie, and Drell, they all then went to where Carface's friend was. Patch stayed close with his fellow dogs.

"I don't like this." Patrick whispered to his wife.

Emily nodded in agreement as they followed Carface. Carface glanced to Cherry and Atticus every now and then as they were going to the secret place.

"Why do you keep looking back at us?" Atticus asked.

"I think he remembers us..." Cherry smiled nervously. 

Atticus shrugged. "Makes sense..."

"Why do I smell fear and hiding something from me?" Drell asked.

"I have no idea!" Cherry chuckled nervously.

"You okay, Cherry?" Atticus asked. "You seem nervous."

"Nervous?" Cherry laughed. "Wh-Wh-Why would I be nervous?"

Drell looked into her eyes.

Cherry looked even more afraid than she normally would. "DON'T KILL ME!" she yelled out, running from him.

"Okay, she's nervous about something, but we'll have to figure out what it is later." Drell whispered to Atticus.

"Mm-hmm..." Atticus nodded, he had seen Cherry nervous before, but this was really extreme compared to how the perky goth would be before.

"We're almost there." Carface told the others as they came up to a fence.

"I'll take care of this fence." Drell said, cracking his fingers.

"Charlie!" Itchy panted. "Charlie!"

"Itch, you're out of breath and the fun hasn't even started yet." Charlie smiled as he walked through the fence as Carface climbed underneath through it.

"Charlie... I got a bad feeling about this..." Itchy said.

Drell got the fence out of the way with his magic so they could continue to follow Carface. Cherry started to hyperventilate as they walked off with her palms sweating.

"Guys, we're here." Carface said as he showed them a small building.

They came to the door and Carface opened it for them.

"Hey, Red!" Carface called, but no one answered. "He must be in the back... Have a look around..."

Cherry backed up to the door as the others went inside.

"Okay, Cherry, what is wrong?" Drell asked. "Why are you backing up?"

"Wh-Wh-Whatya mean?" Cherry gripped her collar nervously.

Drell narrowed his eyes. "I am so using a truth spell on you when we're done here."

Cherry gulped like her life was being threatened somehow. The doors closed behind them which made both Cherry and Itchy scream.

"Cherry afraid?" Patch asked. "Okay, something's up with her."

"You're telling me." Atticus said.

"Cool, a crystal ball." Colette smiled as she looked at the glass sphere.

"Itchy, come here," Charlie grinned as he sat in front of the crystal ball. "I'll read you your fortune... I see you going for a long walk..."

"Yeah," Carface took it with a sick grin. "On a short leash! You're in the wrong seat... Move it!"

"Carface..." a voice called. "That's no way to treat customers."

"You must be Red, my name--" Patch said, about to introduce himself.

"Patch Pongo, Charlie Barkin, Itchiford Dauschand..." Red said before anyhting else could be said. "Welcome..."

"Wait," Charlie realized Red could somehow see him, Itchy, and Patch. "How can he--"

"Red knows all and sees all." Carface chuckled.

Itchy sniffled. "You got cats around here or what?" 

"Cats!" Red laughed. "Oh, good heavens, no!"

"We hope you don't mind, but I brought my owner, his parents, father figure, and his friend, along with my father and mother figures and girlfriend along with us." Patch said.

"Not at all, not at all..." Red smiled. 

"Anyway, Carface tells us you got some special collars?" Charlie prompted.

"Collars...? Oh, yes..." Red chuckled as he took the crystal ball off the stand to show red studded collars. "They're going to be the next big thing... Here, try..." he then pushed the collars over to Charlie, Itchy, and Patch.

Seeing those collars made Atticus nervous and scared at the same time.

Itchy sniffed the collars before looking at the wrinkled dog. "What's the catch, old man?"

"No catch," Red smiled. "Any friend of Carface is a friend of mine... There is ONE small thing..." he then said, showing a claw.

"There is a catch, isn't there?" Patch groaned.

"I knew it!" Itchy snarled. "We're outta here!" he then started to storm off, but looked back as he was kind of alone. "Right, guys?"

"What's the catch, sir?" Emily asked.

"The collars are only good until sundown," Red explained as he stroked the crystal ball. "After that, you'll be, to put it... Instantiated..."

"So it's not a catch, but a warning." Patch said.

"Precisely." Red replied.

"By then, I'll have Sasha begging for me..." Charlie carried a collar over his snout, coming to a mirror and only the collar was shown in the reflection. He then hopped the collar up in the air and caught it around his neck, making himself visible and in the appearance of life again.

"Me next!" Patch smiled as he took one of the collars and went to the mirror as well before putting on the red collar.

Like magic, Patch's reflection appeared right before him. Carface wrapped the thrid and final collar around Itchy's neck and flung him against the mirror.

Itchy yelped as he hit the mirror and got back up to see his reflection with the collar. 

"Ah, perfect fit." Charlie smiled before Itchy started to sneeze.

"You okay, Mr. Itchy?" Patch asked.

"I-I-I think so..." Itchy said before he sneezed again and instantly itched again as his fleas returned due to being alive now. "Ooh, get off! Everybody, off!"

"And don't forget," Carface reminded them as they left. 'Sundown tomorrow!"

Itchy sniffled and then sneezed over Carface's face as he dizzily followed the others out. Cherry gripped her collar nervously as more sweat beaded down her face. 

"Wait, my dear, I would like to speak with you and Carface alone." Red said.

Cherry deeply gulped and forced a smile. "Great!" she squeaked slightly.

"Red," Charlie poked his head out before officially leaving with Patch and Itchy. "I owe you one."

"Oh... You'll owe me one all right." Red grinned rather darkly. 

"We'll see ya in a little while, Cherry." Atticus said.

"Okay, bye..." Cherry grinned nervously.

Drell glanced long to Cherry and walked off with the others.

As soon as they were out, Patch felt refreshed.

"Isn't this great, Colette?" Patch asked.

She didn't answer.

"Colette?" Patch looked around.

Colette tackled Patch and spun around with him, pinning on top of him, nuzzling her nose against his. "I missed you." 

"I missed you too." Patch smiled.

Colette happily nuzzled him.

"Hey, Lucky," Charlie smiled to the male border collie. "All we need now is Flo and we'd be the Dynamic Trio again before I met Itch." 

"Yeah, but right now, you've got an important mission of your own to complete." Lucky said.

"Uh, yeah..." Charlie shrugged. 

"Shouldn't we wait for Cherry?" Atticus asked as Charlie seemed anxious to get going.

"She'll catch up with us." Charlie told them.

Patrick and Emily smiled to Atticus, admiring his friendship to her and they went off.


	8. Chapter 8

"They fell for it!" Carface laughed as it was just him and Red. "When we get that horn, we can open any safe or bank vault in the world!" he then laughed even harder after saying that.

"SILENCE!" Red snapped at him. 

This caused Carface to become silent and where Cherry didn't seem to move from her spot.

"I didn't recruit you for such entry level wickedness," Red came between the two, but looked to Carface in particular. "You both have so much to learn..."

"Is it hot in here?" Cherry panted. 

"You better listen, so then, you don't forget." Carface told her.

"I don't like keeping things from Drell..." Cherry told Red as he was melting away from an old dog disguise and coming into his true form. "He's gonna find out eventual--HOLY MOTHER OF BACON, WHAT IS THAT?!" 

"This is Red's true form." Carface told him.

Cherry's eyes lolled back into her skull and she fell back once she saw Red become a demonic looking cat. "Are you the Devil?" she whispered. 

"You are correct." Red smiled evilly.

"Oh, my..." Cherry's voice quaked. "I-I-I'm starting to regret this..."

"I'm afraid you have no choice now..." Red told her. "You've done very well so far... Doesn't it feel so good to be bad?"

Cherry shrugged. "I-I guess..." She then felt a song coming on. "IIIII should go..." she grinned nervously and headed for the door. 

"Oh, no, you don't." Carface said, stopping her.

"I have to leave!" Cherry begged.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..." Red said as Cherry was brought right back. 

And where she could have sworn she heard music.

"Aaand here we go..." Cherry said as Red started to sing to her and Carface.

"Yep." Carface said.

And so it began. Cherry knew Red must've been pure evil if he could even scare Carface, the dog who held an orphan girl hostage and threatened her if she didn't do what he wanted or asked of her, even denying letting her go outside. 

"Now, I know you've been malicious, spiteful, and trifile vicious, It's no secret that you cheated and you lied." Red sang.

Cherry stepped back with Carface as Red cornered them both against the doors.

"And you've done some double dealing, Scheming, swindling and stealing," Red continued. "You're an amateur, but Heaven knows you've tried."

"I answered your ad, didn't I?" Carface replied as he took out a paper. "'Money, power, stature, call 1-800-BRIMSTONE'."

"Good boy, and soon your efforts will be rewarded and so will yours, my dear." Red said as he came out of a mirror, taking them with him as he went back inside it.

Cherry winced slightly.

"You'll develop so much faster, Now you're working with a master," Red returned to singing. "Who will help you cultivate your darker side~" He changed from the old dog that he was to a tall red cat with claws included.

Cherry's face turned white as a sheet. 

"You'll discovered wicked ways you've never known before!" Red drew out a blade like for shaving. "And you'll find that you're really rotten to the core!"

Some skeletons began to include themselves into the song. Cherry felt creeped out as Red continued.

"It feels so good to be bad," Red sang to his 'victims'. "So delicious to be a despicable cad, It's just so thrilling and so fulfilling, To give somebody the worst time they've ever had."

Cherry and Carface held each other as the skeletons danced around.

"It feels so good to be bad." Red continued to sing.

Cherry and Carface were becoming very nervous.

"Case in point," Red said to them. "Charlie and Patch don't know it, but they're in my power. They're gonna wish that they were never born! I promise you that by the sunset hour, I'll have Gabriel's Horn!"

"Boss, why can't we get it for ya?" Carface asked.

"Yeah." Cherry added, though hesitant about doing that.

"'Cuz you had your chance and blew it, I entrusted you to do it. But you bungled it and threw your chance away." Red sang.

Cherry and Carface ended up in a cart with Red, going up a roller coaster track.

"It's a problem you created," Red continued. "If the horn can't be located, I'm not naming names, but SOMEONE HAS TO PAY!"

They then began to go down fast.

"Say again, Boss!?" Carface asked while keeping his top lip from covering his eyes.

"Neither of you will be able to find it, only angels can hear its heavenly tone." Red told them.

"But I'm an angel!" Carface defended.

"Not anymore..." Cherry said nervously as they were speeding down the tracks.

"She's right," Red grinned darkly as he made them fall through a hole together. "You both work for me now!"

"What?!" Cherry screamed before remembering she had sold her soul. "Oh, right..."

"Though you gave me cause to doubt you, There's a loathsomeness about you, That attracts me to you as a protége," Red sang as Cherry and Carface were being turned into devils. "And when you've learned every creepy crummy thing I know, You'll taste the joy that comes when you're the LOWEST OF THE LOW!"

The two were pushed to the front of a stage as a stage light shined on them.

"It feels so good to be bad," Red sang as Carface was in red long johns with horns and his own pitchfork while Cherry had on a ruby red dress with a pointed tail, her own horns, and had on black heels to look like a devilish female. "So delightful to be a deplorable cad, It's so appealing to have the feeling, That what you're doing gets trouble brewing, And drives everybody MAD!"

Two of the skeletons looked like they would catch the two as they were tossed over to them, only for them to accidentally miss them and mess with their noses.

"You've got my guarantee," Red grinned darkly to Carface and Cherry. "It feels so good to be bad!"

"Ole!" Carface grinned as he stomped on one of the skeletons. "So inviting!"

"So good to be bad!" Red finished.

The three of them left that world and ended up back in the building they were in.

"What do you think, my dear?" Red asked Cherry as they were back in their normal clothes for now. 

"I kinda do wanna make Drell suffer..." Cherry admitted.

"I thought you'd say that," Red smirked before giving her a necklace with a locket. "This will bounce back any bad luck you get right to Drell ."

Cherry put her hands over the locket as it seemed to glow a hellish red before fading normally to look like a normal charm. "Erm... Thanks... What do you want with him exactly?"

"His magic and strength," Red said. "Before I go after a stronger magic source."

"Of course..." Cherry said.

"Now, run along..." Red told her. "Remember our deal... The same goes for you, Carface."

Cherry nodded and took her leave, then took a deep breath to relax herself. As soon as she relaxed herself she ran off to catch up to the others.

Meanwhile, back at home...

Darla invited Anne-Marie to come over to help get her mind off of the loss of Itchy.

"How about some of my famous macaroni and cheese for lunch?" Michelle offered to the girls.

"Great!" Darla and Anne-Marie replied.

Michelle then went off to start making it for them.

"You okay, Anne-Marie?" Darla asked.

"I think so, but... Something's telling me something deep inside..." Anne-Marie said. "I feel like... Itchy's okay and he's up to something... I-I'm not sure..."

"Maybe he's on an important angel mission." Darla shrugged.

"I just feel different..." Anne-Marie said.

"Do you believe in angels?" Darla asked.

"Yeah..." Anne-Marie nodded. "I barely remember them, but I believe my parents are angels now."

"And they're watching you from Heaven, I just know it." Darla smiled.

"I miss them a lot..." Anne-Marie said.

"Believe me, I know how you feel in a way..." Michelle said to the black-haired girl. "I didn't lose my parents, but they lost me... My birth father didn't even know I was born and my birth mother gave me up."

"I'm so sorry to hear about that, Mrs. Butler." Anne-Marie frowned.

Michelle hugged Anne-Marie. "It's okay, honey..."

While they were going to have lunch/dinner, Mo continued to look for Colette until her medallion began to glow.

"Collie, where are you?" the street girl sighed, then looked down to her medallion as it glowed. "Wha?"

Her medallion continued to glow and teleported both her and unknowingly Forte to San Francisco.

"Whaaaah!" Mo yelped as she was suddenly being teleported away. "Hey, I didn't sign up for this!"

The two then appeared landing on the group.


	9. Chapter 9

Patrick and Emily looked over in shock and surprise.

"Are you all right, Monique?" Forte asked.

"That depends, am I bleeding?" Mo muttered.

"No, but you are on top of us." Drell grunted for show as he lifted the two off them.

"Whoa!" Forte and Mo yelped as they were in the air now.

Drell then dropped them and patted his hands together as he stood up and then folded his arms to the court composer and former street urchin.

"I swear, we did not mean to do this, my medallion just glowed all of a sudden and teleported us here." Mo told him.

"Is that right?" Drell asked.

"Yeah," Mo showed her medallion as it glowed. "I was just looking for Colette and the next thing I know, I'm right here!"

"And it brought you right to me." Colette smiled.

"Collie, there you are!" Mo hugged the female cocker spaniel, then glared down to her. "Where have you been? Your mother is worried sick about you!"

"I'm sorry, Mo," Colette replied. "But I just missed Patch so much, I was just going for a walk and I ended up going all sorts of different places..."

"And then she ended up in Pound Puppies Headquarters." Lucky told her.

"On purpose though?" Cookie asked.

"I wasn't paying attention," Colette shrugged. "It must've been fate."

"Yeah, that must be it." Patch said.

"I just don't understand why I'm here..." Forte said. "I was working on my newest sonata..."

Mo and Forte were both surprised to that Patch was alive, especially after being told what happened. Patch and Colette smiled to each other as they stood side-by-side as Mo and Forte were being told about what happened. There was then a knock at the door.

Drell opened the door. "And just where have you been?"

"Erm... Heh... You know... Out..." Cherry walked in, anxiously.

"Well, then, come on, let's go and see Sasha." Charlie said.

"Aw, jeez..." Itchy rolled his eyes.

"Sasha?" Mo and Forte asked.

"A new female dog that he saw on stage." Patch told them.

"Better hurry before she heads home." Charlie eagerly went out the door.

"We better follow him." Patch said.

"I'll go with you." Colette smiled.

"Okay." Patch smiled.

Colette smiled back. Mo was of course going to go with Atticus.

"I guess I might as well go too..." Cherry shrugged.

"I'm going as well." Forte said.

"Of course you are..." Cherry whispered, she thought since she was going he would invite himself to go too just to keep an eye on her.

"Coming, Lucky?" Charlie asked, then turned his head. "Lucky?"

Lucky and Cookie smiled to each other.

"Hey, Lucky, you wanna come along with your girlfriend?" Charlie teased.

Lucky and Cookie blushed slightly once they realized what was going on.

"Uh, yeah, sure..." Lucky chuckled sheepishly. "Let's go, Cookie."

"Mm-hmm." Cookie nodded in agreement and walked by his side.

Patrick and Emily decided to stay in the room with Drell as the others went off to find this Sasha for Charlie.

"You coming?" Atticus asked Drell.

"I'll wait here," Drell said. "I'm starved."

"Okay, we'll be back soon." Atticus said.

"Be careful." Emily warned, being his mother and all.

"Don't worry, Mom, we'll be fine." Atticus promised as he left with them.

Emily sighed as Patrick held her to comfort and support her. "He's grown up so fast."

"He sure has." Patrick said.

Emily hugged Patrick as she had tears in her eyes and he hugged her right back.

"He's a good boy..." Drell told them. "You guys should be proud."

"We sure are." Patrick told him.

"Truly..." Emily added.

"Aw, jeez, Emily, don't cry." Drell groaned.

"I'll cry if I want to!" Emily glared.

"Yes, ma'am..." Drell said with slightly wide eyes.

"Yeah, you never ever want to make a woman angry." Patrick said.

"My bad..." Drell nearly scoffed.

Emily got in his face, glaring into his eyes.

"Eek!" Drell actually sounded frightened. "Sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

"Good." Emily nodded.

"Heh..." Drell grinned nervously. "Ya know, with you being a mermaid, you almost looked like the Kelpie for a second..."

"You're comparing me to that beast?!" Emily snarled.

"Aw, shoot!" Drell trembled.

"How's about we just stay calm and relax?" Patrick said.

Emily sighed. "I think I need a shower..." she then walked off into the bathroom and started the water before screaming. "THIS WATER IS BROWN!"

"I'll fix that." Patrick said before using his magic to change the brown water into normal water.

"Thanks!" Emily replied gratefully.

Patrick smiled to her, then glared to Drell. "Why are we in this crappy motel room again?"

"I thought motels and hotels were the same thing..." Drell shrugged innocently.

"No, they aren't, hotels are much better the motels because of so many differences." Patrick told him.

"Oh... Okay..." Drell said. "Someone should've said something..."

*A while back...*

"I think I'll make a reservation for them in San Francisco," Drell said to Skippy. "At a motel, mortals love motels, right? Room service, rooms with a view, free cable..."

Skippy shook his head, trying to tell him that motels were different from hotels.

"Glad to see ya agree, Skippy!" Drell put his arm around his friend. "They're gonna love me for this!"

Skippy kept on shaking his head until he sighed out of defeat.

 

*Back in the present.*

"So you thought Skippy was agreeing with you when he was shook his head no?" Patrick asked.

"I guess I should pay more attention to Skippy nowadays." Drell shrugged.

"Yes, yes, you should." Patrick nodded.

Drell smiled sheepishly with a shrug.

Meanwhile, Sasha was coming up to the host of the club she had sang at. 

"You sing pretty good for a stray." the host smiled to her.

"Can I have my prize now?" Sasha sounded rushed.

The dog host grinned to the female Irish Setter and took out a medium sized bone with a first place ribbon tied around it.

"Hey!" Sasha glared. "What is this?!"

The dog host shrugged.

"You advertised a meal for the winner!" Sasha growled in sheer disappointment.

"Maybe I could get ya one for two?" the host offered.

"Honey, I'd rather eat out of the garbage." Sasha huffed, collecting the bone and stormed off.

"Hey, uh, that's what I had in mind..." the dog host shrugged, then began to flirt with another female dog who appeared. "Bonswa, Frenchy, it's your lucky night..."

Sasha began to walk out of the saloon only to stop to see a starving little dog. It was the dog that no one enjoyed the act of, he looked like he was on the brink of death of hunger. Sasha decided to let him have her bone even if she rightfully earned it and was about to walk off until she spotted the buffet table. She brought out a napkin and started to collect food into it, though did her best to be quiet and secretive about it. Charlie and the others came back into the Saloon to see if they could find Sasha.

"Ah..." Charlie smiled once he found who he was looking for, licking his lips.

Itchy grabbed onto his collar before he let the German Shepherd go. "This is gonna be fast, right? We got a horn to find!"

"Take a lesson, Itch," Charlie grabbed a frothy mug of the root beer from a waitress's platter, drinking it and gargling it before putting it in his paw and slicking the top of his fur back. "You're about to see a master at work." he then shoved the glass in Itchy's paws and pursued after Sasha.

"This is not going to end well." Lucky groaned.

"You've probably heard this all the time," Charlie came up to Sasha, surprising her. "But you sing like an angel."

"Excuse me." Sasha glanced at him, putting the bag in her mouth to carry it. 

"The name's Barkin," the German Shepherd tried to flirt with her. "Charlie Barkin, and you are?"

"Not even remotely interested." Sasha walked off, accidentally, opening up the bag, exposing the food.

Charlie helped the bag up with her. "Oh, that's a mouthful."

"Down, boy." Sasha quietly growled.

"Here, let me help you with that." Charlie attempted to help, but Sasha tried to make him leave, neither worked.

"And this not working at all like he planned." Patch said.

Finally, the bag split open and made the food fall instantly to the floor.

"Whoops." Charlie said.

Sasha was very frustrated with him now.

"Hey, sister!" a waitress scolded the Irish Setter. "No free eats!"

"Let me handle this." Charlie said to the Irish Setter.

Sasha glanced at him, looking to the exit.

"Put it on Carface's tab." Charlie told the waitress.

The waitress then shrugged and walked off. "Okay."

"Now, where were--" Charlie smiled, going to look back to Sasha, but saw that she was getting away.

"You always had a way with the ladies..." Lucky teased Charlie.

"Yeah, and we learned plenty from that." Patch added in.

Itchy chuckled to Charlie's little failure.

"So I'm rusty, I gotta make a home delivery." Charlie said as he collected food for Sasha and carried it in his mouth, running for the Irish Setter.

"Come on, we better follow him." Atticus said.

Itchy face-pawed as Charlie strode off. "I'll never get back to Heaven."

"Just calm down, it's not going anywhere." Colette said.

"You don't know that..." Itchy said.

"Come on, let's get Charlie." Lucky suggested.

"Right, Lucky." Colette and Patch agreed, then glanced to each other sheepishly as they said that unintentionally in unison.

Cherry held her locket close as they went to track down Charlie and Sasha. And where anything that bad would happen to her would happen to Drell instead.

Charlie spotted Sasha and started to follow her again.

"Somethin' tells me you're forgettin' about the horn." Itchy said to his friend.

"Would you take it easy?" Charlie replied. "We got plenty of time for that!"

"Annabelle is not gonna like this, Charlie!" Itchy scolded.

"Would you just relax, Mr. Itchy?" Patch asked.

They kept running after the female Irish Setter. Atticus saw Cherry was slowing down due to being kind of slow, so he bent down for her and allowed her to ride on his back. Cherry climbed onto Atticus's back and once they were set, they were off together to catch up. And where they continued to follow the Irish setter to see where she was going.

The running seemed to last forever until Patch poked his head out of a wooden fence piece and found a very peaceful looking backyard with a tool shed. "Hey, nice digs."

"You said it, kid." Charlie agreed, coming to his side with Itchy.

However, Sasha jumped out and snarled viciously at the intruders. She recognized Charlie. "You again, what do you want?!"

"Uh, you left your doggy bag." Charlie brought the bag over for her.

"Oh, yeah..." Sasha grew soft now. "Uh, thanks... Thanks a lot..."

"That food looks big enough for just one, if you want, we could stick around." Charlie said.

Itchy glared up at Charlie for that assumption/idea.

"Sorry, I got a kid." Sasha walked off with the bag over to the tool shed.

"Uh, yeah, I'm good with kids..." Charlie said, that wasn't really a lie though, he was close with Flo's orphaned puppies before Patch moved them to Shelter 17 after all.

Sasha pushed the tool shed door open with her frontal paw just as a human boy with blonde hair in a red jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers emerged from a bed and blanket and yawned, revealing himself.

"Whoa!" Charlie's eyes widened. 'She's got a kid kid!" 

"Thanks, girl." the boy smiled as he started to eat the food that Sasha brought.

"Is the food delicious?" Patch asked.

The boy screamed and jumped back in surprise. "You can talk?"

"Sure, he can," Cookie said. "Haven't you heard of Puppy Power?"

The boy screamed again, freaked out that these dogs were talking like him.

"He can understand you?" Sasha asked the other dogs.

"Yeah, but we only talk when we really need to, most dogs have Puppy Power," Patch said. "Charlie and Mr. Itchy and my girlfriend also have Puppy Power."

"Holy cow!" the boy yelped.

"Holy dogs actually," Charlie replied. "I'm Charlie, he's Itchy, that's Patch, Lucky, Cookie, and Colette, we have our own humans back there."

"What's going on here?" Sasha demanded to know. "And I want the truth!"

"The truth?" Charlie asked. "I'm... Well..." 

Itchy got nervous and shook his head quickly, silently begging for Charlie not to blow it.

"I'm an angel." Charlie admitted.

"Same with me and Mr. Itchy." Patch said.

"Hold on..." the boy walked over to a trashcan and lifted the lid, looking for someone. "Somebody's playing a trick."

"Okay, okay, if I'm not an angel, then how can I do this?" Charlie rhetorically asked before jumping in the air, trying to fly, but he landed flat on his face in the middle of the ground.

The boy laughed at him for that.

"Charlie, did you forget?" Patch asked.

"What did I forget?" Charlie asked as he looked around.

Itchy suddenly started to scratch against his collar, aggravated of the fleas who had been brought back from the dead.

"Of course... Watch this." Charlie realized, he then took off his collar which made him disappear to those who didn't believe in angels and it made the boy scream again as the German Shepherd moved up to the tool shed roof.

"So, you don't believe in angels?" Patch asked.

"Angels..." Sasha muttered.

"Please," Charlie reappeared as he put the collar back on. "Hold your applause," he then jumped down from the roof and glided slightly in the air and landed peacefully this time. "Ta-Da!"

"Wow, that was the best trick I've ever seen!" the boy smiled.

"Trick?" Charlie repeated, slightly insulted.

"That wasn't a trick." Patch said.

"I do magic too!" the boy said, he took out a black ball and made it disappear from his hands, then bent down next to Itchy. "Gimme the ball, boy." he then lifted Itchy's ear and blew into it to make the black ball pop out of Itchy's other ear.

"Wow!" Itchy praised. "That was... I can't---More! More..."

"He calls those magic tricks?" Cherry smirked as she shuffled a deck of playing cards.

"He must be a beginner." Atticus said.

"Meh." Cherry shrugged.

"Cerise, I didn't know you did magic tricks." Forte said.

"I'm kinda working on it..." Cherry said innocently.

"It's true." Atticus said.

"But still, as a beginner, he sure is good." Patch smiled.

"Charlie!" Itchy laughed as the boy started to make colored scarves come out of his ear. "Look, it's a miracle!"

"Wow, with more practice, he could be a famous magician." Lucky smiled.

The others smiled at their new friend's feats as Charlie made himself disappear and come right in front of Sasha and kissed her right on the muzzle.

"Of all the arrogant, presumptuous, egotistical--" Sasha started to growl at Charlie once her mouth was free.

The boy yelped at the Irish Setter. 'Now you talk!"

Sasha then cupped her mouth.

"You must be an angel..." the boy said to Charlie.

"See, I told you," Patch said. "Me, Charlie, and Mr. Itchy are all angels."

"Way to go, Charlie," Itchy whispered sharply to the German Shepherd. "You used up your miracle and that was supposed to be for emergencies!"

"Looked like an emergency to me." Charlie whispered.

"You must be my guardian angel." the boy said to him.

"Your what!?" Sasha gaped.

"My mom told me everybody has a guardian angel," the boy explained. "You're here because I ran away from home, right?" 

"Uh, sure, right..." Charlie played along. "We're gonna make some team, huh?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Patch whispered to Charlie.

"You mean, you're not lost?" Lucky asked the boy.

"Not anymore," the boy smiled as he hugged Charlie. "I got my guardian angel."

"Now, hold it," Sasha said. "I wanna know why you ran away."

"You tell her." the boy told Charlie.

Patch was about to tell her why, but he decided to let Charlie tell her if he could.

"This oughta be good." Itchy said to the others who were behind the fence.

"It's... Uhh... Umm..." Charlie tried to guess. "You're having... Uhh... Kid problems?"

"Yeah, it's my step-mom." the boy said as he lay in the yard, putting his legs up.

"Knew it." Charlie smirked. 

"She wants me to call her 'Mom', but she's not," the boy turned over, looking angry. "I'm never going home again."

"Is this also because she's going to have a baby?" Patch asked.

"It's obvious she doesn't like me if she's gonna have her own kid..." the boy said.

"So, what're you going to do?" Sasha asked. "Live on the street?"

"Yep!" the boy smiled, going back on his knees. "I'm gonna live on Canary Square! Tourists give you money!"

"What?!" Patch shook his head. "No way!"

"I agree, let's get you home," Sasha suggested. "Come on, tell me where you live."

"No!" the boy refused.

"Okay, don't listen to me," Sasha started to walk away. "Listen to your Guardian Angel."

Charlie walked over to the boy. "Hey, Canary Square sounds like a good plan to me."

"WHAT?!" Sasha gaped and ran back over. "Don't listen to him!"

"She's right, you can't live on the streets." Patch added.

"He's not ready to go home." Charlie said.

"Oh, come on, he's only eight-year-old..." Sasha frowned.

"That's 56 in dog years," Charlie replied. "David, with your talent, there's no telling where you'll end up!"

"Oh, please!" Sasha shook her head.

"Charlie, this is crazy, he's just a kid," Patch said. "A talented kid, but still, just a kid."

"No, no, trust me," Charlie replied. "Guardian Angels move in mysterious ways."

"So we're off to Canary Square?" the boy asked, sounding hopeful.

"Not Canary Square," Charlie led the way out the fence. "Easy Street."

"Yes!" the boy cheered as he went off with them to make his dreams come true.

"He can't be serious." Cookie said.

"You with us, girls?" Charlie asked Sasha and Cookie as they didn't like this idea very much at all.

Sasha glared as they walked off together. "I don't know what your'e up to, but I'm keeping my eye on you."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Charlie smiled as he went after her and Cookie.

"CHARLES!" a sharp female voice called.

Charlie turned his head and came back in which made Patch do the same and they found the pink whippet's image on the trashcan lid.

"We have a traffic jam up here," Annabelle warned the two. "The new arrivals can't get in! We need that horn!"

"What?! How can so many dogs already be dying?" Patch asked.

"Easy, we're on a homing pattern," Charlie turned around and waved the lid with his tail. "I'm really onto something."

Annabelle yelled out as the lid was spinning and rolling away.

"Charlie, you do realize that she's going to keep calling us until we get the horn, right?" Patch asked.

"Yap, yap, yap, leave this to me, kid, I know what I'm doing." Charlie said as they were now on the way to Canary Square.

Patch sighed. "This better work..."

Colette came to Patch's side and smiled to him as they walked together.

"I sure do hope that Charlie knows what he's doing." Atticus said.

"Same here." Mo nodded in agreement.

"So, who are you guys?" David asked the humans.

"Friends with dogs..." Cherry said.

"My name is Atticus Fudo, this is my girlfriend Mo Brown, and this is my best friend ,as well as sister figure, Cherry Butler, and our adult friend, Forte." Atticus introduced.

"Adult friend is a bit of an understatement..." Cherry said which made Forte grab her shoulder.

"Where'd you guys come from?" David asked.

"We're from out of town, but don't worry, we're gonna help you." Mo said.

"Yep." Atticus smiled.

David looked curious of his new friends, but they kept going over to the place known as Canary Square.


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, Charlie, if you want Sasha to like you, as in fall for you, you got to find out what she looks for a guy." Patch whispered to the German Shepherd.

"And how do you know more about romance than I do, kid?" Charlie whispered back as they walked along.

"Patch is right, find out what Sasha likes in a guy." Colette whispered.

A tram passed them as they walked down the street on the sidewalk.

"Which way to Canary Square?" David asked.

"Uh, just follow your nose!" Charlie called as they passed a construction site, but luckily, didn't get hurt, then decided to talk with Sasha alone, taking the puppy's advice. "So, is there a Mr. Sasha?"

"Nope, and I'm not taking an application." Sasha huffed.

"Okay, okay, but if you were, what qualities would you look for in him?" Charlie prompted.

"I don't know..." Sasha didn't sound interested in talking with him.

"Oh, come on, there's gotta be something you're interested in a guy." Charlie said.

"Hmm... Well..." Sasha started to list what she liked in a guy. "Loyalty... Strength... Breeding..."

"I'd be good at that." Charlie grinned eagerly at the last part.

Cookie and Lucky cringed while Patch and Colette's eyes widened.

"Humility... Compassion..." Sasha continued.

Charlie nodded to her until he accidentally ran into a steel gurter and fell in the middle of the ground.

"Ooh, that's gotta hurt." Patch winced.

"Of course, style." Sasha then finished.

"Charlie, are you okay?" Mo bent down next to the fallen German Shepherd.

"Boy, are my ears ringing..." Charlie said, dizzily.

"Yeah, you're right." Itchy agreed.

Patch put one ear up and looked over. "Charlie, those aren't your ears, it's the horn, look!" he then pointed to show a cop carrying a very familiar instrument in his hand.

"Alright, then, you go get it, Itch, while I stay here with Sasha." Charlie told him.

"Uh-Uh, getting the horn is your job, I'll stay with Sasha." Itchy said.

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but Patch is already sneaking in to get the horn himself." Atticus said.

They looked over to see Patch was indeed going to the police station.

"Where's he going?" David asked.

"Uh, Confidential Guardian Angel business." Itchy lied with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, all I have to do is get the horn and get out, simple." Patch whispered as he was sneaking in.

Cherry was by his side.

"Cherry?" Patch looked up.

"Uh, I thought maybe you could use some help..." Cherry smiled nervously with a shrug.

"Cherry, I need to do this by myself, go back and wait with the others." Patch whispered to her.

"But--" Cherry whimpered.

"Go back..." Patch said. "If I need help, I'll come back."

Cherry sighed and walked back over in defeat. Patch simply shook his head before continuing on. He stood by the doors, passing as a K-9 Unit.

A couple of cops passed the Dalmatian and pet him as they were on their way out the doors. Patch then took this opportunity to slide into the police station and came into the back office, looking for the horn, but was unable to find it so far.

"Get this, McDowell!" one cop said as he read his newspaper. "Man finds TV in his vacuum cleaner!"

"Last week you believed scientists created intelligent lunch meat," the other cop grumbled. "That's why everybody's afraid to act out."

Patch simply rolled his eyes, these two didn't seem to be too focused on any work they had to do. "Uh, hey, buddy?" he then asked, sneaking up behind the one cop as he wrote down in forms. "You got a lost and found nearby?"

"Room 112 in the back." the cop told him, not even noticing that a dog had asked him that question.

"Thanks." Patch nodded and went off to look for the Lost and Found, highly assuming that the horn had been placed there.

"I'm tellin' ya, McDowell, there's some pretty weird things in this world." the other cop said as he looked at his newspaper.

"Well, that was easy, now just gotta get to room 112." Patch smiled quietly.

The puppy wandered around as he looked for the room as a couple was handing a picture to a female officer and the couple told her that they had a little boy who ran away from home. David had ran away from home so Patch decided to stay hidden and overhear of what the couple had to say.

"Any ideas why he ran away?" the officer asked as she held a picture of the lost boy the couple had come for.

"It started when we were talking about the baby," the woman said as the man cradled her in his arms. "David got very upset..."

'I was right, he must have thought that the baby would replace him.' Patch thought to himself.

A few cops passed Patch. The Dalmatian turned his head and wandered inside the room as the doors opened, he would deal with those two later if possible. He did his best to hide and sneak around as he looked for Gabriel's Horn on the way. 

"Now, where could this guy that has the horn be?" Patch asked.

He kept looking all around as the other officers were hard at their own individual work. He then looked in the far back and saw the words 'Lost and Found'.

"Perfect." the puppy grinned as he went down that way as the cop with the horn was heading straight for that direction.

And where the cop that was taking the horn into the lost and found room looked like he had way too many doughnuts. Patch followed closely to the very chubby cop. The cop checked out the horn and blew it to see if it even worked before putting it on the stand next to the other lost objects. The moment he blew through the horn, the door behind him closed. Patch got out of the way, making sure he didn't get hit by the door, but kept close and quiet so he wouldn't blow his cover to literally fetch the lost heavenly horn.

Of course, this wasn't going to be easy with the collar on, he would be seen by the cop the moment he tried to sneak towards the horn and fetch it. The cop's zipper even unzipped down from the horn blow, and he started to zip up his pants. Patch then took off his collar and snuck in, using his ghostly/angelic powers that he now had to retrieve the horn while the cop was distracted.

"Come on, come to Patchy." Patch smiled as he floated towards the holy horn. He grabbed the horn and was about to leave with it, but the door closed behind him, which made the horn get caught and fall back down on the floor.

The cop noticed that, then picked up the horn and put it back in place, thinking he must had dropped it.

"Of course it couldn't have been Gabriel's Kazoo or something, nooo...." Patch folded his arms with a scoff as he floated in mid-air. He knew exactly what he needed to do, so he decided to grab his collar and go back outside and get some help.

"Listen, kid, living on the streets seems easy, but it isn't always easy..." Mo said to David, trying to talk him out of running away from home and living on the streets like she used to. "You have to look for food, you have to be on the look-out for anyone who could hurt or kill you, you'll get fleas..."

"Yeah, but I'll be on Canary Square," David smiled. "I'll get money for my magic tricks!"

"He does make a good point," Atticus said. "But still, David, you can't live on the streets your whole life and there are some people who don't exactly pay attention to performers."

"Yeah... Some of them are really weird..." Cherry added in the best she could without sounding bitterly cynical.

"I'll make sure to try to keep away from them." David said.

"All right, Itchy, what's Patch up to?" Sasha asked.

"I can't tell ya, my lips are, ya see them, they're sealed." Itchy replied, refusing to tell Sasha the truth of why they were near the police station.

"Itchy?!" Sasha growled, wanting to know.

"Mm-mm!" Itchy shook his head, 'sealing his lips'.

"Aw, come on, Itch, what harm could it do?" Charlie asked.

Suddenly, Patch appeared between them as he put the collar back on to make himself visible.

"So, Patch, did you get it?" Atticus asked.

"Unfortunately no, I was so close..." Patch pouted at himself.

"So, now what do we do?" Colette asked.

"We're gonna have to bust it out." Patch said.

"Hey, I like where this is goin'." Charlie smirked.

"It?" Sasha asked. "What's 'it'?"

"Patch, no!" Itchy scolded. "I know you were raised better than that!"

"It's the only way, Mr. Itchy." Patch told him.

"What's this all about anyway?" Sasha demanded.

"Ya ever hear of 'Gabriel's Horn'?" Charlie asked the female Irish Setter, much to the dismay of Itchy.

Itchy snarled and threw off his hat in defeat, he couldn't believe that Charlie gave it away like that. Little did they know, Carface was secretly there and listening in on a plan that Patch was making out for them. 

And where it included David, Atticus, Cherry, and Forte to act as blind people with their lead dogs. 

"Could you, uh..." Cherry asked the court composer.

Forte then nodded to her and became his teenager form so he wouldn't get scolded for hanging around her due to being hundreds of years old.

"Just keep walking," Patch told the humans. "Just great..."

"Patch, I don't know about this..." Colette whimpered slightly.

"Don't worry, this plan will work." Patch whispered.

A cop was walking with a K-9 Unit who had a muzzle. This dog then looked to Itchy and snarled viciously at him. Itchy screamed and freaked out, running all around. The K-9 Unit then snarled at Patch, looking like he wanted to hurt him. Cookie stood in front of Patch protectively and barked aggressively to the intruding dog like a mother with a child in distress. Lucky included, both acting like parents for Patch. Patch looked up and smiled to the two adult dogs. The K-9 Unit started to back up nervously as Lucky and Cookie snarled at him.

"What do we do now?" Mo whispered.

"Plan B, guys!" Charlie called.

"Good idea!" Patch agreed.

"Donuts!" David opened one door to alert the cops. "Fresh off the truck!"

This made all of the cops in the room grin eagerly and hungrily, running out of the doors to get some donuts. 

"I can't believe that worked..." Cherry mumbled.

"Same here." Mo said.

Soon, the dogs and humans rushed inside, as there was only one cop left as she was behind her desk. Two other cops spotted the intruders and chased them as they were on their way to the Lost and Found.

"Hey, hey, come back here!" the fat cop demanded as he started to chase them all around the station.

Itchy skid on the floor, accidentally running into the female cop which made her papers scatter all around the floor, hitting the file cabinet which started the fire alarm.

"Well, that wasn't part of the plan." Colette said.

Charlie then made the fat cop slide into the water cooler and the tank ended up on his head.

"Neither was that." Patch added to Colette's comment.

Itchy grabbed the keys from the fat cop's pants and chucked them to Sasha who then tossed them into David's direction as one cop was chasing him.

"But we'll just have to roll with it." Atticus said.

David ran with one cop which made the cop fall against the floor and get his face caught in the door.

"Oops, sorry, officer!" David apologized as he took the keys back, but two cops came behind him.

"Okay, son, give us the keys." the fat cop demanded, gurgling slightly due to his mouth being in the water.

"You make me sick..." the other cop scowled, looking deathly serious.

Cherry rushed over to David's side as she showed her empty sleeves. "Nuthin' up my sleeves, except these!" she then took out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed the two officers together by hand. "Oh, David, what's that behind his ear?"

David took a look, then as if by magic, took out the keys and bowed. "Thank you, thank you, you've been a great audience!" he then ran with Cherry as they had the keys, doing a quick magic show as a diversion.

Patch ran into the lost and found so he could get the horn. The cops tried to chase Cherry and David, but the handcuffs made them run into a wall and they both instantly fell down. Atticus got the keys from Cherry and threw them over to his puppy. Patch jumped up and caught them, going to the Lost and Found door, then within minutes, came back with the horn in his mouth.

The female cop got her papers together, but fell down once again as David ran into her and knocked her down. "Oh, my gosh, David..." she recognized the boy as he ran off with the others. "DAAAAVID!"

"Come on, let's get out of this joint." Charlie said.

"Please! Sit! Stay!" the female cop called as the humans and dogs got away.

Carface was outside the door, waiting for the right time to snatch the horn away from the good guys. He then jumped off the side and hid in the bushes as they were on their way as a guy was getting off his motor scooter.

"Quick, on the motor scooter!" Charlie called out.

"There's no way we can all fit on that thing!" Cherry said.

Atticus used his magic and made the motorized scooter bigger for them all to use it. 

"Of course..." Cherry said, then looked greedy. "Uh, maybe I should hold onto the horn... To keep it safe?"

"No way," Patch muffled. "I'm holding on to it."

"Uh, okay.." Cherry twiddled her fingers.

The humans wore helmets as Charlie started the motor scooter and they hijacked it as they escaped with Gabriel's Horn.

"And we're outta here!" Patch cheered while holding on to the horn.

Itchy fell off as they were off and the female cop tried to chase them. The wiener dog then got back up to his feet and rushed after them the best he could with his short legs. 

"What do we do now?" Colette asked.

"Just keep goin'!" Charlie hooted and hollered.

"Have you learned nothing from the dog pound when we were pups, Charlie?!" Lucky glanced at his German Shepherd friend.

"Apparently not." Cookie mumbled.

"We're not going to leave Mr. Itchy behind!" Atticus told them. "But we're also not going to let that cop catch up to us!" 

"Itchy's not on board?" Charlie asked. "Huh... I never noticed."

"Poor Itchy can't catch a break." Cherry said as she made sure her necklace wouldn't fly off from the crazy scooter driving.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, kid?" Sasha asked Patch as he was driving the scooter.

"Aw, trust me on this, I'm positive we can make it... About by 50%." Patch said.

"And the other 50!?" Sasha panicked then.

"Uh, what're the odds of that happening?" Patch shrugged.

"We're gonna get seriously hurt, aren't we?" Sasha's eyes widened.

"What? No, besides, it's my first day on the job." Patch said.

"I thought you Guardian Angels were supposed to help people!" Sasha yelped.

"It's our first day on the job!" Charlie defended, using Patch's excuse as they drove off. 

The officer got into a squad car and started to drive off after him. Carface then hijacked a skateboard and followed them to get the horn.

"I have a bad feeling that someone is after the horn." Atticus said.

"Heh.... No kidding..." Cherry chuckled nervously.

"Let's hope Mr. Itchy can catch up with us." Patch said.

"Jump, Itchy, I'll catch you!" Mo held out her arms.

Itchy ran beside them, then started to jump, but ended up on top of the police car right behind them. Patch swerved by a passing car next to them as they were going down the street, passing several innocent bystanders.

"Whoa, where'd you learn to drive, Patch?" David asked, impressed.

"You'd be surprised..." Cherry mumbled, she remembered when Patch drove the car in her 'Rock-A-Doodle' adventure.

Carface tried to climb up, but kept slipping, as he climbed up, the police woman saw him and blasted the sirens to knock him off which startled Itchy since he was right on top of the sirens. The scooter and car were right next to each other now as they were flying and now riding down a steep hill.

"This is never easy." Atticus said.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Cherry said.

"Could be worse, Cherry, you could be Carface." Mo gestured to the pit bull dog as he was flopping around behind the police car, having miserable bad luck.

"She's right." Atticus said.

Cherry looked to her locket as it flashed slightly. The police car was now going down the steps on the hill.

"I'm gonna barf." Itchy groaned as he had a rougher ride than anybody else.

"Yee-Haw!" Charlie cheered.

"Having fun, are we?" Colette deadpanned.

"Just hang on tight!" Patch told her.

"I trust you to be the driver." Colette said to him.

"You got it." Patch smiled.

Colette smiled back to him. Patch nodded firmly as he drove the scooter the best to his abilities.

"This contraption is making me nauseous..." Forte looked ill as he held his stomach as they had a rough ride down.

"You must not be use to vehicles yet." Mo said.

"Well, forgive my upbringing for being the early eighteenth century..." Forte defended.

"What?" David glanced back.

"Uh, he's Amish." Cherry made up.

"Yeah." Mo added.

"Really?" David wondered if that was true or not, but just shrugged.

"Let's just say he's still new to some of the vehicles." Atticus said.

"Okay..." David shrugged again.

Carface grinned darkly as the car was now coming in front of the scooter, he jumped off the car in an attempt to capture the horn, but he missed and ended up in a newspaper box. The police woman screamed as Itchy flew off the top of her car and she crashed into a fire hydrant, activating the air bag and she was stuck. Charlie then caught Itchy as he flew in the air and ended up with them. "

"Mr. Itchy, you finally got your flying lessons!" Patch smiled.

"I'm gonna get you for this, Charlie!" Itchy grumbled as they got away freely.

"That'll have to wait for another time, Itchy boy." Charlie told him.

Itchy growled.


	11. Chapter 11

"Should we get back to the motel room?" Cherry asked Atticus as they kept riding and they were no longer being chased.

"You and the others can go, but I'm going to stay with David and the dogs." Atticus said.

"Of course you are..." Cherry nearly rolled her eyes at Atticus's request.

"Okay, then, Atticus, I guess we'll see you later then." Mo said.

"You don't wanna stay?" Atticus frowned to her.

"Sorry, but I think I need a bed," Mo said. "I've been hit with a lot of different emotions lately... I mean, Patch dies, and now he's back, and then Colette gets lost and now I found her... I'll see you later though, I promise."

"Well, okay." Atticus said.

Mo gave Atticus a nice and warm hug before going off.

"We'll see you back at the Motel then." Cherry said.

"All right." Atticus nodded, going to the dogs.

Cherry, Mo, and Forte went over to the motel.

Patrick and Emily were not in the room and Drell was very bored so far.

"Maybe I should have gone with them, at least I wouldn't be bored." Drell said to himself.

Cherry opened the door with the key and came inside with Forte and Mo.

"Ah, company." Drell smiled.

"Drell?" Mo asked. "Where are Atticus's parents?"

"They went out to do some sight-seein'," Drell leaned back, putting his hands behind his back. "For the life of me, I don't know why, but I've been struck with horrible bad luck so far today."

"Really?" Cherry asked as she clutched her locket. "How so?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Forte asked.

"I tried to take a shower, then the cold water splashed me," Drell listed. "I ordered food and a spider crawled out of it, I nearly got run over when I stopped to tie my shoe..."

"Interesting..." Cherry grinned nervously.

"That's so weird." Mo said.

"Yeah... Weird..." Cherry agreed.

"I'll order us some food." Forte offered.

"Okay by me..." Drell shrugged. "Okay, Cherry, time to talk."

Cherry gulped. "About what?"

"About when we got those collars from that Red dog..." Drell said. "You were acting funny." 

Cherry grinned nervously. "No, I wasn't?"

"Yes, you were, now talk." Drell glared.

"Mm-mm..." Cherry backed up, covering her mouth.

"Cherry...?" Drell raised an eyebrow firmly to her.

"Oh, look at the time, it's late, gotta hit the hay." Cherry crawled onto one of the beds.

"CHERRY BUTLER, ANSWER ME THIS INSTANT!" Drell yelled.

Cherry ducked under the bed. "See ya..."

Drell bent down by the bed and reached out for her before wincing after a snap noise. "YOW!" he then took out his hand and saw a mouse trap stuck on his finger. "Ow..."

"Whoa, that looks painful." Mo said.

"It is," Drell groaned. "Why am I suddenly getting bad luck?!"

"Maybe you deserve it..." Cherry grinned nervously.

"I guess so." Drell said as he began to try to get the mouse trap off his fingers.

"Phew..." Cherry wiped her forehead in relief.

Drell winced as he removed the mouse trap, then took out a glass of ice cubes and put his fingers in it to relax the pain. "Now... Cherry..."

"You wanna talk to me about something?" Cherry tried to avoid answering his questions and suspicions about her. "What about? Huh? I never do anything wrong, I'm such a good person most of the time, I would never hurt anyone I truly cared about... What were we talking about again?"

"About you acting funny when we went with Carface to get Charlie, Itchy, and Patch those red collars." Drell told her.

'Darn, I should've known he was too smart to fall for that...' Cherry thought to herself.

"Yes, I am." Drell replied.

Cherry gaped. "You can read my thoughts?!"

"Yes, I can." Drell said.

Cherry shivered and looked up at him as he walked over, towering over her.

"Last chance to willingly confess..." Drell grinned darkly, taking out his wand.

Cherry covered her mouth and shook her head.

"Drell, don't force her, we have to do this calmly and rationally." Mo said.

"I'm the Head of the Council, I'll do whatever I want." Drell folded his arms.

"Cerise?" Forte came behind Cherry. "What's going on?"

Cherry shook her head, still refusing to talk.

"Cherry, please don't make Drell use the truth spell on you." Mo begged.

Cherry backed away slowly.

"YOU ASKED FOR THIS!" Drell raised his wand high in the air. 

Cherry screamed and ran off. Forte and Mo both grabbed her to make sure she didn't go anywhere.

"No, no, no, no!" Cherry begged.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Drell glared, he then zapped his wand.

Cherry ducked down which made the magic blast bounce off the wall and hit Drell back and he turned himself into a mouse and fell in the middle of the floor and his wand fell on his head and ended up right next to him.

"Augh!" Drell groaned and rubbed his head, then glared up to Cherry. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"It must have something to do with that locket." Forte said, pointing to the locket around the perky goth's neck.

Drell took another look. "I never noticed that before."

"It's my grandmother's..." Cherry avoided eye contact when she said that.

"Then why haven't you worn it before?" Mo asked.

"Uhh... Well... I..." Cherry stammered.

Drell jumped in the air and tackled Cherry down, clinging to her face. "SPILL!"

"Get off of me!" Cherry grunted.

"Drell, please get off her." Mo said.

Drell growled, then crawled into Cherry's shirt.

"No, don't!" Cherry begged before giggling and twitching.

Drell then started to bite her.

"YOW!" Cherry jumped up and fell gently on her feet instead of crashing on her face as usual.

"TALK!" Drell demanded. "I know you're hiding something from me!"

"It must have something to do with that locket." Forte said.

"My locket is fine!" Cherry gritted her teeth nervously.

"Got it!" Drell grabbed the locket and flew out of Cherry's collar.

"DRELL!" Cherry yelped. 

"Why does this thing look like it has the mark of Lucifer on it?" Drell stared at the locket's charm.

Cherry bit her lip and sweated nervously.

Drell glared back. "Are you working with the bad guys...?"

"No, it's not what you think!" Cherry's voice squeaked as she was lying.

"If so, then you won't mind if we destroy it!" Drell exclaimed.

"No, please, don't!" Cherry begged.

"Oh, really, and why shouldn't we?" Drell asked.

"Drell, please...." Cherry begged, getting on her knees and held her hands together.

"I don't think so..." Drell lifted the locket high and was about to smash it.

"Please don't, I'll do anything!" Cherry pleaded.

"Wait, Drell, this seems very important." Mo said.

"What I don't understand is how did Cherry even get this locket the only one with this symbol is the devil himself." Drell said.

Cherry bit her lip, whimpering.

Drell looked into her eyes. "So...." he then stormed right over and looked dead into her eyes. "You're working with the devil, aren't you?"

Cherry shook her head.

"AREN'T YOU?!" Drell yelled in her face.

Cherry covered her eyes and whimpered, sounding deathly frightened and depressed right now of him.

"What were you thinking?!" Drell glared.

"I-I-I..." Cherry stammered, sweating anxiously.

Drell looked to Mo and Forte. "Leave, this is going to get ugly."

"I believe you're too tough on--" Forte was about to scold.

"LEAVE!" Drell hissed.

Mo and Forte blinked and walked out of the room and shut the door behind them, Drell then nodded to them firmly and returned his gaze on Cherry.

"Drell, I was just... Just..." Cherry sounded like she was broken.

"Tricked into selling your soul to him?" Drell guessed.

"I-I-I-I..." Cherry blinked.

"You-You-You-You arescrewed..." Drell said. "Have you thouight about what might happen to you when Red loses?"

Cherry frowned, then did her best to look brave and angry. "How do you know he'll lose?" she then scoffed to the warlock. "He might be smarter than you..."

"You don't get it, I've seen the future through the crystal ball, I've seen what happens to Red he loses and everyone is safe while Carface is sent down to Hell." Drell told her.

"Uhh... You don't know that..." Cherry sweated nervously.

"I mean it!" Drell glared.

Cherry glared back. "You don't know anything... You can't hurt me... I'm sick of you treating me like your punching bag all the time!"

"So, in a way, I'm the reason why you have this thing." Drell said.

"Um..." Cherry bit her lip.

Drell narrowed his eyes. "Get away from me, Cherry..."

Cherry bowed her head.

"I'm very angry and disappointed in you..." Drell scolded. "Assisting the bad guy... I hope you get dragged down to Hell with Carface."

"Drell!" Cherry gasped.

"Just go." Drell told her.

Cherry felt very hurt. "Drell, I'm sorry, I--"

"You've done enough..." Drell glared. "I hope you got what you wanted just to make me suffer... Now get out of here before I seriously kill you, best friends with Atticus or not."

Cherry held her arm, then bowed her head and walked out the door.

"Cherry, what--" Mo was about to ask.

Cherry kept walking away, putting her hand to her eyes.

"What did you do to her?!" Forte glared at Drell.

"Hey, I was just being honest..." Drell defended with a scoff. "She wanted to help destroy me, she can just leave."

"No, she didn't, I'm sure she just wanted you to have bad luck like she's always had almost all her life." Mo said.

"Cerise has a bit of an unhappy life..." Forte agreed. "Neglected and isolated by certain others... Hating the emotion as love... Awaiting the unfortunate gift of death... Going on the brink of gothic tendencies.... We are... The same..."

"I can tell." Mo said.

Forte looked thoughtful for a moment when he realized that he and Cherry had more in common than they thought, he then returned to focus and glared to Drell. "Have you no remorse?"

"Maybe..." Drell shrugged. "Maybe not... It's just business."

"Listen, don't destroy that thing, but at least keep it away from her." Mo said.

"Oh, I'm gonna destroy it..." Drell held the locket close. "It might corrupt her heart... Mo, change me back into a warlock."

"How can I do that? I'm not a witch or a wiccan." Mo told him.

"Well, one of you use my wand!" Drell said.

"Is that allowed?" Forte asked.

"I don't care, one of you change me back before I lose my mind!" Drell demanded.

"Okay, okay." Mo said as she picked up the wand.

"All right, hit me." Drell said.

Mo was nervous, she then waved the wand and zapped Drell with it. However, Drell turned into a monkey.

"Oops, let me try again..." Mo said, then tried again and Drell turned into a cat instead. "Your wand must be--"

"My wand is fine!" Drell glared, very impatient as he was stuck to be an animal.

"Okay, okay, just let me try one more time." Mo said before using the wand again, letting it zap him, finally turning him back to a warlock.

Drell shivered and shook a chill down his spine, then smiled. "Thank you, Mo."

"I think you kind of deserved to be a mouse..." Forte said. "You're not very nice to Cerise."

"Not nice at all." Mo said, taking the locket from Drell before hiding it.

"Hey, give that back to me!" Drell demanded.

"No, I won't let you destroy it." Mo said.

"Give it to me, Mo..." Drell repeated firmly as he held out his hand.

"Non, Drell..." Forte also refused.

"Well, YOU have to do what I say." Drell said.

"And why is that?" Forte folded his arms.

"Because I'm 600 years old and you're 300 years old, so THERE!" Drell argued.

"I don't care if you are centuries older than us, we are not going to let you destroy it." Mo glared.

"I'm Head of the Witches Council, give me that before it destroys the universe!" Drell growled.

"NO!" Mo yelled.

"Wait, wait, what do you mean 'destroys the universe'?" Forte asked Drell.

"It has the mark of Lucifer," Drell explained. "You know... The Bad Guy in charge of those who led a miserable living life and get sent straight down to Hell. Also, I didn't want Darla and Anne-Marie here because it could hurt Anne-Marie too because of her biological father."

"What do you mean?" Mo asked.

"Anne-Marie doesn't know this, but she's an angel/devil hybrid," Drell replied. "Her mother was an angel and her father is the Devil. He could reawaken with this charm with Red once he gets Gabriel's Horn and the whole world could go literally to Hell."

This caused for Mo to gasp and take the locket out of it's hiding spot. Drell snapped his fingers and held out his hands. Mo tossed the locket to him, knowing he could catch it. Drell missed it however and it flew out the window and he screamed, rushing to the window as it was flying down.

"Oh, this is bad," Mo said. "We have to find it and destroy it before anything bad happens."

"Duh!" Drell rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we gotta find it before it's too late." Forte said.

And so they did.


	12. Chapter 12

Cherry was wondering where to go, unknowing that the necklace came back down around her neck as she was still walking off and she ended up going for the pier where David, Atticus, and the dogs were.

"Charlie, we are not throwing this into the bottom of the sea." Patch muffled as he kept the horn away from the German Shepard.

"Who said anything about that?" Charlie glanced at Patch.

"I know what you're thinking and you already know that we have to bring this back to Annabelle in Heaven." Patch muffled as he put it in a lobster cage.

"I agree," Itchy nodded. "Come on, let's get outta here!"

"Come on, let's just stay here a little longer, take a break from Heaven." Charlie insisted.

"Yeah, sure, and Sasha has nothing to do with it." Itchy rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Charlie, please, just try to give Heaven another chance." Patch said.

"I will, but not now." Charlie said as he took the horn away from Patch.

"Are you serious?!" Patch groaned.

"Charlie, you're making me crazy here!" Itchy whined.

"Just a little more time!" Charlie glared at them both as he gripped the horn. "The horn will be safe here." he then closed the lobster trap and kicked it with his back hind leg, pushing it into the water.

"No, Charlie!" Itchy yelped.

Annabelle's image came into the water and she shook her head at Charlie's decision and move with Heaven's most precious and needed gift.

"I cannot believe you just did that." Patch said.

"Getting late..." Sasha said to her boy. "Wouldn't you rather be home right now, David?"

"Uh-uh!" David shook his head as he was playing with his cards. "Not that again! I'm going to Canary Square!"

"I believe that's what Charlie used to call 'Easy Street'." Lucky said.

"Really?" Cookie asked.

"Yep." Charlie smiled.

"How far is it?" David asked.

"A lot closer than you think." Charlie said as he looked over and saw a sign that had 'Canary Square' labeled on it. 

"Hey, isn't that Cherry?" Colette looked over as someone familiar was walking over toward their direction.

"Yeah, it is, but I thought she went back to the motel with Mo and Forte?" Atticus asked.

"Hey, guys..." Cherry came with her hands in her pockets, looking emotional.

Atticus noticed she seemed unhappier than usual. "You okay?"

"Drell told me to leave." Cherry explained.

"Then why do you look less happier than usual?" Patch asked.

"Because Drell told me to leave." Cherry said.

"You don't even like Drell." Colette reminded based on what she heard from Patch.

"He was mean to me..." Cherry explained. "He told me to get away from him."

"Still not understanding how that makes you upset." Lucky said.

"He hurt my feelings!" Cherry pouted. "Doesn't anyone care?!"

"Of course we care." Atticus said.

"You don't seem like it..." Cherry looked down rather sadly. "He just yelled at me for no reason..."

"When we get back to the motel, I'm going to have a serious talk with him." Atticus said as he began to clench his fists.

"Oh, so now you care?" Cherry folded her arms.

"Of course I care," Atticus said. "I've always cared about you, you're my best friend."

"I seriously don't get what you see in me..." Cherry glanced back.

"I see the first friend I met in the orphanage." Atticus told her.

"Not this again..." Cherry mumbled.

Cookie came over to the humans. "Excuse me, but David would like to go Canary Square to try his luck... Would you two like to come along?"

"Might as well see how it goes." Atticus shrugged.

"Come along then, it'll be dark soon." Lucky said.

With that, the dogs and three humans were gong off to Canary Square. 

As soon as they got there, there were several other street performers and there were people all around, watching to see what they could do. David was in a back corner with the others, getting ready for his first magic gig.

"Nervous?" Charlie asked as Atticus tied on David's cape steadily.

"A little," David said softly. "I'm kinda sweaty."

"Excited?" Patch asked as he got a magician's hat from the trash and tossed it to the young new magician.

"You bet!" David beamed.

Charlie grabbed the hat before putting it on the eight-year-old boy's head.

"There you go," Colette smiled. "Now you look like a real magician."

"Just not from Vegas." Cherry added dryly.

"It's a start." David smiled.

"Ooh, boy..." Cherry looked away.

"You wanna help?" David offered. "You seem to like magic too."

"I think I'm far too advanced for you." Cherry looked back.

"I'm gonna need an assistant." David said.

"Guess that's my job..." Cherry shrugged. "You could also make Charlie, Itchy, or Patch disappear by putting a blanket over them and they take off their collars."

"Or maybe even pull Itchy out of the hat." Atticus said.

"Yeah..." David liked the sounds of those ideas.

"Alright, then, let's get this show on the road." Patch smiled, giving the boy a ride on his back.

David laughed as he had a ride on the Dalmatian's back. Charlie, Itchy, Cookie, Sasha, Lucky, and Colette came as well. Atticus and Cherry followed behind to watch David attempt to wow and impress the crowd.

"Let's hope this goes well." Atticus whispered.

"Now, Charlie..." Sasha tried to warn.

"Okay, all set, let's go!" Charlie said as they entered the crowd. 

David tried to keep his balance as he was riding on a dog's back and the others looked curiously to him as he laughed a little and smiled to his future audience.

"Let the show begin." Patch smiled

"Out of his way," Charlie began to sing. "He's coming through. The kid's making this show his big debut."

David took off his hat and took out a bouquet of flowers as he stood on the edge of the fountain, being careful not to slip or fall in.

"You'll be amazed, amused, enthused, most of all." Charlie continued as David then threw the flowers in the air and made them explode in blooming petals.

"I've got the moves, I've got the tricks, I've been doing this since I was six." David sang while he started kicking one of his feet in the air, letting some cards come out, only for him to catch them all in his magician hat.

Sasha looked way up at David as he did his feats to wow the crowd.

Charlie came up to her side. "His tricks are paid, he's got it made here in..."

David then took Itchy out of his hat like a bunny rabbit, dangling him by his ears. "Here on Easy Street!"

'Almost time for the disappearing act.' Patch thought to himself.

"Where the sun's always shining," Charlie and David sang together as Itchy hopped like a bunny rabbit. "Not a cloud in the sky!"

David then put his cape over Patch. Patch then took off his collar while he was covered and started to fly in the air, invisible to the mortals who didn't believe in angels or ghosts.

"Clear and sunny!" David smiled.

"Milk and honey!" Patch added as he dog paddled above the audience as they cheered for making a dog 'disappear'.

"Life is sweet on Easy Street." David, Charlie, and Patch sang as the boy bowed to the audience as they seemed to believe he made Patch disappear.

"Patch, I hope you know what you're doing." Sasha said as she came over to the Dalmatian puppy as he slid his collar back on with Colette by her side.

"Will you girls relax and enjoy the show?" Patch smiled. "It's not over yet!"

"The kid's right." Charlie smiled.

Colette sighed. "Patch, I love you, but sometimes you're bonkers..."

Sasha glared to Charlie and the German Shepherd smiled to her with a small wink.

"When you're a big celebrity," David continued to sing as he made scarves come out of his sleeve before posing for a picture with a family who enjoyed his show so far. "Fans are like a family! "Abracadabra poof! I'll be a sensation." he continued as he tried to do a card trick by shuffling them, but then accidentally messed up and the cards started to fly out ,causing him to try and get each one.

"And I'll be there to make it win," Charlie came to Itchy's side as the cards were floating away. "Watching the dough come roamin' in..."

An Elvis impersonator glared down as the cards were in his personal space.

"I'll do the shows, and then we'll close, and take our vacation!" David quickly grabbed as many cards as he could before Charlie pulled him away.

"Whew, that was close." Atticus sighed.

The Elvis impersonator didn't look very happy with David. The crowd smiled to David, but then noticed a man was on roller-skates and had all sorts of metal on with a light bulb in his mouth and this seemed to attract the crowd to pay attention to him now instead of the little magic boy and his dogs. Patch saw this before getting an idea as he grabbed onto David's long line of scarves. David allowed the puppy to so they could draw the crowd back over to him. Patch pulled on the scarves in his mouth, then wrapped it around the people who watched the man on roller-skates and threw them right back over to David's direction.

'That's what that man gets for trying to steal David's audience.' Patch thought to himself.

The man growled in misfortune and even bit down on his light bulb which smashed it in his mouth. David tried to make something come out of his hat, but there was nothing, and he somehow made a metal ball appear out in thin air.

"They're easy pickin's." Charlie smiled.

"And boneless chickens!" Itchy added with a grin.

"Wishing is all that's required..." David sang as he held the ball out to a baby.

The baby kissed the ball which then turned it into a white dove and it flew away, this made the baby cry however.

'Uh-Oh, that could be a problem.' Patch thought to himself.

Sasha got nervous as David nervously backed up from the screaming and crying baby. Charlie bit onto David's cape to help keep his balance, but it didn't seem to be lasting very long or happily. The cape ripped and David backed up against the fountain and fell in with a splash as it was starting to rain now.

"You've got to be kidding me, does it seriously have to rain now?!" Atticus groaned.

"Apparently." Cherry deadpanned.

Atticus groaned in frustration and looked to poor David as he held out his hat for money from his audience, but they just took out their umbrellas and walked away for dry shelter. The wind even blew away David's hat as he was wetter than everybody else due to the rain and that he fell into the fountain. And where he felt like he had failed at making it in Easy Street.

David held himself as the dogs bowed their head in dismay for his failure.

"Come on, honey," Cookie cooed to David. "Let's get you out of the rain."

"I think I saw a dock close by that we can stay under until the rain stops." Lucky said.

"It'll have to do." Charlie said as David climbed onto Patch's back.

"Let's go!" Colette said.

With that, the dogs and humans were on their way to the dock.

Cherry sniffled and then started to sneeze. "This rain is so cold..."

Atticus began to take his coat off and placed on Cherry to keep her from getting cold while they joined up with them. Cherry held the coat as she looked colder than she would like.

"Come on..." Atticus held her close like a brother would to his endangered sister as they joined David and the dogs to the docks.

Cherry shivered slightly as they went away together.


	13. Chapter 13

The moment they got under the dock they were safe from the rain. The skies were still gray and cloudy, but the rain had eventually stopped. The dogs shook themselves dry. David looked up sadly as he saw a couple come up to a hot dog stand with their daughter, giving her a hot dog and they walked away with her in the warmth and happiness that a family had.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a shoe," Itchy said. "How 'bout you?"

The mention of food caused David's stomach to growl.

"I thought so," Itchy smiled as he then walked off. "I'll be right back."

While Itchy did that, David began to miss his dad and even his step-mom.

"You're my family," David said to the female Irish Setter. "You.... Cookie, Colette, Patch, Itchy... Even Charlie..."

Charlie smiled that the boy thought of him as family.

"David, you still have your dad and step-mom..." Sasha soothed maternally.

"My step-mom doesn't want me..." David said as he then buried his face against his folded arms and hunched legs.

"Yes, she does, David, she cares a whole lot about you, they even went to the police to try and find you," Patch told him. "I heard them speaking to a female officer."

"But she's having her own kid..." David insisted.

"Oh, parents can love more than one pup..." Cookie soothed again. "Maybe she just didn't know how to tell you that."

"Maybe you should give her another chance." Lucky agreed.

David shook his head as he buried himself further, refusing to listen to reason. 

"You know, we ran away from home once," Cherry said, referring to her and Atticus. 

"Did that make your parents sorry?" David asked.

"We didn't know our parents then," Cherry explained. "We thought we were orphans."

"I guess we could have used a Guardian Angel back then." Atticus smiled.

David thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Guys... I'll go home." he then hugged against Charlie, liking him the best. "If Charlie promises to take me."

"I promise." Charlie replied with a smile.

"Really?" David got excited. "That'd be great! You could sleep on my bed, a-a-and we'd play in the yard, and we'll be one big family!"

"Whoa, whoa, David, wait, I can't promise that." Charlie told him.

"It's true, these collars aren't going to last forever." Patch said.

"What... What do you mean?" David asked.

"Well, you see--" Patch started.

Before anything else could be said or done, Itchy had come back with food for them all.

"Mm, Chinese food." Colette smiled.

"I got us some mushu pork, won ton, and I hope ya like pasta!" Itchy smiled to them, then took out his paw to show a handful of napkins and offered them out. "Napkins?"

Everyone, but Charlie began to get a bite to eat. Seagulls and pelicans were coming down and shared the food with them. Cherry looked rather emotionally distant from the others. Atticus came over to her.

"You still shook up about what Drell did?" Atticus asked.

"Of all the things he's done to me, this was really uncalled for..." Cherry said as she looked out into the sky.

"I promise you, I will make sure that he doesn't get away with it." Atticus promised.

"Why do you always gotta stay with me, Atticus?" Cherry asked. "We're opposites... You should just have your own life and move on... It's not like we're gonna go to college together... Talk about our first dates together... Or meet our true loves, get married, and have kids..."

"Cherry, you're my best friend and if anybody messes with you or makes you upset, then I'll make that person pay." Atticus said.

"I don't understand my life sometimes... I just wonder why I'm here sometimes..." Cherry crossed her legs slightly.

"I'm sure that there's a reason why." Atticus said.

Patch joined Charlie as they both went to the top of the dock. Cherry glanced over.

Atticus did too. "I better let Patch alone with this one... This seems to be an important dog thing..."

"Says the boy who wanted to be a dog." Cherry smirked at Atticus slightly.

"Touche." Atticus smirked back.

"Nyah-nyah." Cherry stuck out her tongue.

Atticus half-smiled because Cherry was in a slightly better mood now.

Patch came over to the adult German Shepherd. "Are you okay, Charlie?"

"No, I'm not, Patch, I finally found someone, I finally started to fall in love with... And I promised David that I..." Charlie sighed.

Colette and Sasha both came up to the dock to check on them. Lucky and Colette were eating and being alone together as David and Itchy were oblivious to anything going on around them as they were in their own place. 

Sasha smiled once she saw the two dogs. "Nice work, Charlie Barkin," she congratulated since David was going to go home now. "You really are an angel."

"No, I'm not." Charlie bowed his head.

"Of course you are, look what you did for David." Sasha said.

"Charlie, I think it's time we come clean." Patch sighed.

"You're right..." Charlie sighed as well. "Look, Sasha, I'm not a Guardian Angel... I'm just an errand boy sent to fetch Gabriel's Horn."

"That's right, you see, we were sent down here to get it back before it fell into the wrong hands." Patch said.

"So, you can't take David home?" Sasha asked.

"We have to go back," Charlie said. "Just when I finally found someone special..."

"Oh, Charlie..." Sasha bowed her head, knowing that he was talking about her.

Patch and Colette decided to give these two some space.

"I will always be with you," Sasha started to sing as the sun was starting to set. "Makes no difference where your road takes you to... Even if we're apart now we're joined at the heart though our moment may be gone You and I will still live on." she continued.

Charlie smiled as she came to the female Irish Setter. "I will always be with you," he started to sing with her. "I'll be by your side, Whatever you do... Our dreams may fade, the roads that we make, are eternal past the stars, Now I'm apart of who you are."

"And I'll be there with you in the sound of your laughter, I'll be in the tears you cry." Charlie and Sasha sang together.

"'Cuz the way you and I have touched one and other." Charlie sang.

"Doesn't end with goodbye." Charlie and Sasha sang.

The two then started to run together as they were in love with each other now despite a rough first meeting. Patch and Colette smiled to each other. They wanted to join in the fun. They walked across the Bay Bridge all together as they were all walking, though side-by-side with their lovers.

"I will always be with you like a Guardian Angel, constant and true." All four sang.

The others had fallen asleep.

"When you're lost in the night," the four dogs continued to sing as they looked lovingly to one another. "Lost in the night... And you can't see the light... My love will see you through."

"I will always be there." Patch and Charlie sang.

"You'll have me there." Colette and Sasha sang.

"I will always be with you." the four dogs then finished.

As they were about to kiss, the sun had completely set.

"Charlie?" Sasha asked as she couldn't see the German Shepherd anymore.

"No, no, no!" Charlie groaned once he saw his collar disappeared. "Not now!"

"Sasha, we can't find Itchy!" David ran over to the female Irish Setter.

"You two are kidding, right?" Colette asked as she could see Charlie and Patch and Itchy.

"Yeah, we're right here!" Patch added.

"They're gone..." Sasha walked right through Charlie in sadness.

"Wait, Sasha, do you really, truly, honestly believe in angels?" Colette asked.

"I don't know..." Sasha replied.

"Well, I do, and Charlie and Patch are right here." Colette said.

"Dave, I'm here!" Charlie came to the boy. "I'm right here!"

Sasha frowned that she couldn't see or hear Charlie, she just didn't believe, right now anyway.

"They're right here, they would never leave us, neither would Mr. Itchy." Colette promised the human boy and female Irish Setter.

"We gotta do something, guys." Charlie said.

"Uh, it'll be fine, Charlie." Itchy said.

Charlie ran off. "I promised David I'd get him home!"

Patch began to run off with him.

"Short legs... Short legs..." Itchy grumbled. "CHARLIE!!!"

"Patch!" Colette yelped, going after the dogs as well.

Cherry gripped her collar as she felt instantly hot even though it was getting very cold due to it being dark outside now.

"One of us better stay with Charlie and Sasha while the rest of us go and see what Charlie and Patch are up to." Atticus said.

Cherry took out a coin. "Call it."

"Heads." Atticus said.

"Tails." Cherry flipped the coin from the thumb and the coin went way up in the air and then gently came back down. She then grabbed the coin and put it on the back of her wrist, covering her eyes, then opened one to find out which side the coin came up on.

And where it showed heads.

"Heads," Cherry said to Atticus. "What's the plan?"

"You all go and find out where those two are going while I make sure that David doesn't leave and try to convince him into going back to his parents." Atticus said.

"Heh..." Cherry sounded nervous. "No problem."

Cookie and Lucky came over, they seemed preoccupied from something else as they just came over.

"What's going on?" Lucky asked.

"Charlie and Patch ran off somewhere and we need to find out where they went." Forte said.

"Colette went with Itchy to find them..." Cherry added as she clutched her locket again.

"Then what are we standing around here for?" Lucky asked.

"Go, go, go!" Cookie said for them to take their positions for their next move.

Each of them then went off to their positions and where Cherry, Forte, Lucky, and Cookie went off to find out where Charlie and Patch went while Atticus would try to convince David to go back home.


	14. Chapter 14

Back at home, the girls were in bed. Darla and Anne-Marie slept in Darla's room while Michelle slept in Patrick and Emily's room.

Anne-Marie had a strange feeling while she was in bed, then woke up and went to the bathroom. She washed her face to clear her mind, but when she looked in the mirror again, she looked to see not her reflection, but of a very young looking woman with her ivory complexion and had golden hair and appeared to have a white gown with feathery wings. 

"Huh...?" the orphaned girl asked. "Wh-Who are you...?"

"I am Rosie, I teach the Guardian Angels in Training of Heaven," the woman introduced herself. "I'm also your mother."

"M-M-My mother...?" Anne-Marie's sapphire eyes widened.

"Yes, my dear." The woman nodded.

"But... I'm an orphan..." Anne-Marie said. "I have a new mommy and daddy... They live at 402 Maple Street."

"Yes, my dear, I know, but I'm your real mother," Rosie explained. "Honey, you don't know this, but you are a very special and wonderful child with an incredible gift, more than just speaking fluently to animals that only special ones gain the privilege of. You are truly an angel and you have angelic powers like I do, but you also unfortunately have demonic powers from your father."

"My father?" Anne-Marie asked.

"I'll explain later, but Earth and Heaven are in jeopardy," Rosie said. "Your friend's family and his friends are out to help the world, and your friend has her own special abilities, you must help in this adventure."

"How can I help?" Anne-Marie asked.

"There is a horn missing from the dog section of Heaven," Rosie informed. "It has a special heavenly tone that only angels can hear and only angels can play it. The horn must be recovered and blown to save the fate of humanity, dogkind, and anybody else, Charlie and Itchy are out there."

"Charlie and Itchy?" Anne-Marie's eyes twinkled, she had known those dogs when she was a homeless orphan and they helped give her the parents she had always wanted and dreamed of. 

Suddenly, there was a glow and it wrapped around Anne-Marie, she looked to her back and saw she had wings and a halo over her head. 

"Anne-Marie, I know this is sudden, but you must help your old friends, I believe in you," Rosie said. "I always have."

"Aw! Thanks, Mom." Anne-Marie smiled.

"I miss you oh-so much..." Rosie cooed.

"So, I'm not an orphan?" Anne-Marie asked.

"No, dear, giving you up was the hardest sacrifice of my life..." Rosie said. "I'm so sorry that Mr. Carface had used you and hurt you... I'll explain everything later, but you have a job to do."

"How do I get there?" Anne-Marie asked.

"Believe in yourself to send yourself there." Rosie said.

"But what about Darla?" Anne-Marie then asked about her friend. "I can't leave her..."

"Go on, Anne-Marie." Darla smiled.

"Darla?" Anne-Marie looked over to see the blonde girl was now awake and standing right behind her.

"Go on, go, you can do it." Darla smiled.

Anne-Marie smiled back, then hugged Darla. "We may not be best friends like you are with Amber, but thank you for being my friend."

"Thank you for being my friend." Darla agreed as she hugged the raven-haired girl back.

Anne-Marie wiped a tear, then went back over to the mirror as Rosie waited for her biological daughter. "I'm ready... Mom."

"Alright then." Rosie said.

"Good luck, Anne-Marie..." Darla put her hands together as she bowed her eyes with her head down. "I'll pray for you." 

Anne-Marie smiled as she then looked up to her biological angel mother. Rosie held out her hand from the mirror out for her daughter. Anne-Marie took her long-lost mother's hand and stepped into the mirror with her and there was a golden heavenly glow and the mirror that returned back to normal, showing Darla's reflection.

"Good luck." Darla said.


	15. Chapter 15

Meanwhile...

Carface and Red were playing cards together, Red was in his old dog disguise just in case someone would walk in unexpectedly.

"Got any sixes?" Carface asked.

Red had three sixes together which was obviously a bad sign, but he lied. "Go fish."

Carface took a card out his pocket and put it with his other cards as the clock ticked. Red dealt his cards together as Charlie flew right through the closed doors.

"RED!" Charlie yelled which surprised and made Carface jump and drop his cards.

Patch came in right after. "Nice hand, Carface."

Carface lowly growled at the Dalmatian puppy.

"Red, I gotta ask ya a favor." Charlie said to the old dog.

"Anything, Charlie, you too, Patch," Red smiled. "Just name it."

"Listen, we just need you to give us two more of those special collars." Patch said.

"You enjoyed them," Red smiled. "I knew you would."

"Ah, thanks, you're a real pal," Charlie smiled. "Could we have them now?"

"Oh, I am sorry, you both misunderstood me," Red replied as he shuffled the cards in his paws. "If you want another collar, you must pay."

"Oh, um, we're a little short on money." Patch said sheepishly.

"Yeah, uh, how about an I.O.U?" Charlie added.

"I don't think so..." Red walked off with his cane. "Carface will show you out."

"There must be someway..." Charlie said.

"Uh, guys?" Carface came to the German Shepherd and Dalmatian puppy. "He may take a trade."

"Really?" Patch asked. "But what do we have that he could want?"

Charlie thought of something. "Wait, wait!"

"Goodbye!" Red called as he was walking off.

"Red... I have this horn..." Charlie started.

"Charlie, no, I know what you're thinking and no, we can't give him it." Patch said.

"It's the only way." Charlie whispered.

"Sorry," Red looked back to the German Shepherd. "I'm not musical."

"No, no, this is much more than a horn, Red," Charlie continued. "There's nothing like it in the whole world."

Red disappeared behind his curtains. "Let me sleep on it..."

"I don't have that kind of time!" Charlie urged, rushing over.

Red then popped his head out again. "I like your spirit, Charlie... Bring me this horn and you and your young friend can have your collars."

"We will, but, uh, we need the collars to get it." Charlie told him.

"Oh, really?" Red replied, his eyes seemed to glow red slightly.

Itchy and Colette were now closer to the building.

"Come on, Mr. Itchy, we can't dilly dally!" Colette told her former Puppy School teacher as she ran quicker than him.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Itchy called out.

"Can you trust us?" Charlie asked the old dog.

"This isn't about trust..." Red smiled darkly. "A deal with me is my deal..." he then held out his paw to both Charlie and Patch to shake and seal the deal. "Do you?"

"CHARLIE!/PATCH!" Itchy and Colette rushed inside. "DON'T!"

Patch was about to shake his paw along with Charlie, but then, Red grabbed both of their paws to seal the deal. Red laughed rather wickedly, revealing his true colors to them. Suddenly Charlie and Patch weren't looking too good as there were collars forced around their necks and they flopped back slightly. Colette and the others soon came into the room, seeing the two collars being forced on to the two dogs. Itchy screamed once he saw Red reveal his true form.

"Whoa." Colette's eyes widened slightly.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag, eh?" Red laughed wickedly.

"You tricked us..." Charlie glared at him.

Patch and Charlie both then jumped and were about to attack him. Red waved his clawed paw which made the collars squeeze the two dogs by their necks. This made them both suddenly drop down to the floor, even Patch was in pain.

"Now, be good little bow wows and fetch me MY HORN!" Red demanded firmly.

"N-Never." Patch shook his head.

"I'm afraid you have no choice..." Red glared.

Charlie was already then going off which made Itchy go after him.

Colette growled as she stood in front of Patch. "You leave him alone, you big bully!"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Red hit her.

Colette howled out of pain and had a cut on her cheek now.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Patch barked as he tackled Red.

Red grabbed Patch and threw him against the wall. Once he hit the wall, Patch landed on the ground hard.

"Get moving..." Red growled.

Cherry was leaning against the building, breathing wheezily as sweat dripped down her face. Cookie picked up Colette and got her on her back before following after Patch who went after Charlie. Cherry yelped slightly as the dogs were leaving the building. Itchy was going as well and Red sent Carface to follow them. Cherry backed away nervously, looking very shook up.

"Hello, my dear." Red smirked evilly.

"Heh... Good evening, sir..." Cherry smiled nervously.

"You shall stay here with me." Red said.

"I never agreed to that..." Cherry bit her lip.

"True, but you did sell your soul to me." Red smirked.

Cherry's eyes widened. "Oh, uh, yeah..."

"I can't wait to tell your best friend this." Red smirked.

"What?" Cherry's voice grew shallow. "No, you leave Atticus alone! He's an optimistic, adventurous pain in the butt, but he's MY optimistic, adventurous pain in the butt!"

"Oh, so you care about him," Red smirked. "How much do you care about him?"

"He's my best friend..." Cherry admitted it this time. "I didn't think I needed anybody until he showed up into my life."

"Well, I'll love it when he comes to your rescue." Red smirked.

"I'm not in danger." Cherry said.

"Or aren't you?" Red laughed.

Cherry backed up slightly.

"CHERRY BUTLER, SHOW YOUR STINKIN' FACE!" Drell's voice yelled from a distance.

"Oh, my..." Cherry sounded nervous again.

"Even better." Red smirked evilly before covering the perky goth's eyes with a sash.

"Heeeey!" Cherry whined. "What're you doing?!" Her mouth was then covered as Red tied it to make sure she didn't make a sound.

Drell, Forte, and Mo continued to look for Cherry until they saw the others running by. She muffled and whimpered as Red held her close and backed away with her.

"You all right, old man?" Drell asked Forte as he looked very out of breath.

"Yeah, just gotta catch my breath." Forte panted.

"Come on, we gotta keep up with them." Mo said.

Colette, Itchy, and Patch then ran.

"Whoa, hold, it, hold it!" Mo watched them, then started to run with the puppies. "What's the rush?"

"We have to stop Charlie." Itchy told her.

"Stop Charlie?" Mo asked.

"Long story, we just gotta move!" Colette said. "Gabriel's Horn is in worse danger than it was before!"

"Oh, no..." Drell said once he saw that Patch still had the collar that Red had gave him Charlie and Itchy. "Patch, please don't tell me that you and Charlie..."

"We were kinda given an offer we couldn't refuse..." Patch replied nervously.

"You made a deal with Red, didn't you?" Drell asked seriously.

"I'm sorry, Drell, but we just had to..." Patch said. "I missed Colette and Atticus so much."

"I understand, but you do realize YOU STILL HAVE YOUR WATCH ON YOU!" Drell yelled.

Patch's ears nearly flew back from the yelling. "What about it?" he asked. "It stopped a long time ago! Annabelle said I was stone cold."

"You can start it up again!" Drell told him. "I mean, come on, it's even around your neck!"

"But, if I wind it back..." Patch bit his lip slightly.

Drell grabbed the watch and pulled it roughly. "I'll do it myself, you miserable little cur!"

But as he tried to turn the watch back on, it somehow zapped him, telling him it didn't work that way.

"Yow!" the warlock winced, letting go of the watch.

"Looks like Patch has to do it himself." Mo said.

"Yeah, but that can wait for later." Patch said.

"I suppose so..." Colette looked worried.

"Come on, we gotta move!" Patch ran off to catch up with Itchy.

"Cerise, where are you?" Forte looked around worriedly for the perky goth.

"We'll find her later, right now we gotta make sure Charlie doesn't give away the horn." Patch said.

"Give away the horn?" Forte asked.

"No time to explain, move!" Colette urged.

They started to go to the beach as Charlie and Itchy were looking around. Charlie was looking for David, but he wasn't there and neither was Atticus or Sasha. A train whistle was then heard. Charlie then rushed for the train station.

Itchy stopped as well so he could stop Charlie and have a talk with him and Patch. "Charlie, are you nuts?!" the wiener dog glared at his best friend. "You gave away the horn!"

"Get out of my way." Charlie replied.

"You shook on it," Itchy frowned. "You made a deal with him... You promised Annabelle, and you promised us, Charlie..."

"Itch, I know that, but right now, I've got to find David, MOVE!" Charlie glared before going off.

"Charlie gave away the horn?!" Drell asked out of shock.

"Where are Sasha and David?" Mo looked around for the female Irish Setter and aspiring young magician.

"They must be heading to the train station and Atticus must still be trying to convince him to go back home." Patch said.

"I have a bad feeling about this..." Drell bowed his head. "I sense grave consequences dead ahead... Only a true Guardian Angel can help us now."

"Come on, we gotta go now." Mo said as she ran ahead.

"This is not a drill!" Drell added, dangerously serious.

Meanwhile at the train station...

David and Sasha looked at the emergency plan as a train passed on the tracks.

"David, if you do this, then how do you think your parents will feel?" Atticus asked.

"But where's Charlie?" David frowned sadly. "He wouldn't leave me..."

A playing card fell down which got the boy's attention. David bent down to pick it up, but he was then cornered by a familiar pit bull dog as Sasha and Atticus looked away.

"David, look, I know that the new baby might take some attention away from you, but..." Atticus said before he noticed David wasn't next to him. "David?"

"David?!" Sasha screamed in worry.

David was taken hostage by Carface as they passed the train tracks just before a speeding train passed them. Carface and David were on top of the next train as the one train sped right by them.

"Let him go, Carface!" Atticus glared.

"I don't think so, we got a train to catch!" Carface laughed as he held David in his grip and the others came to the train station, minus Cherry. "Bring the item in one hour to Alcatraz or Junior here doesn't have a prayer!"

"CHARLIE!" David cried as he rode away with Carface.

Charlie ran in and began to try to chase after the train. Unfortunately, he could not keep up or catch up and the train went on and on with Carface and David on top. Charlie stopped himself and he felt doomed, having no choice but to come with Gabriel's Horn to save David's life.

"We need a miracle..." Drell said as a glowing golden heavenly light was floating in the train station.

"Could that be Annabelle?" Patch asked as he saw the heavenly light.

Drell looked at the light and backed up. However, it was not Annabelle, the golden glow popped and it showed a familiar orphan girl.

"Anne-Marie?!" Atticus asked.

"What's going on?" Charlie came over and then did a double take. "Squeaker, is that you?!"

"Yep, it's me, I'm here to help." Anne-Marie smiled.

Charlie came up to the orphan girl. "Oh, look at you, you're all grown up..."

Anne-Marie hugged the German Shepherd. "I missed you so much..."

"Who is this?" Sasha walked over, curious of the former orphan girl.

"Uh, Sasha, long before I met you, I knew this little lady..." Charlie explained nervously. "I, erm, promised her I'd help her find a mom and dad."

"Find a mom and dad?" Sasha asked. "You mean, you were an orphan?"

"Yeah, only I now just found out who my mother is and by that, I mean my biological mother." Anne-Marie smiled.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"I'll explain later, we need to get moving," Anne-Marie said. "I'm here to help in any way I can, Charlie, you too, Mr. Itchy."

"Great." Itchy smiled.

"Come on, Charlie, I know what we have to do, even though it will cost Heaven everything." Patch said.

"Right." Charlie agreed.

Patch and Charlie both rushed off to where the horn was.


	16. Chapter 16

Meanwhile, in Alcatraz...

David was placed in a cell as Red was getting impatient and Carface waited by his side.

"Where are they?" Red growled, referring to the Dalmatian puppy and full grown German Shepherd. "The hour's up!"

"You know what they say, Boss," Carface tried. "Patience is a-"

Red roared at him and made the floor crack and open up, making Carface fall into a gaping hole.

"Or not." Carface whimpered.

"What kind of dog are you?" David mocked the pit bull dog, no longer finding him threatening. "Selling yourself out to some mangy old cat!"

Red scowled as he pointed his clawed finger sharply under the boy's chin from inside the cell. "I'll have your top, boy."

"Red?!" Charlie's voice muffled.

"We're here!" Patch added in.

"Charlie and Patch..." Red grinned maliciously.

Charlie carried a lobster trap in his mouth which contained the heavenly horn inside.

"The horn..." Red's eyes glowed.

"Allow me, Boss, I'll fetch it for ya..." Carface reached inside the cage which made him yelp out as three crabs pinched him, revealing to be inside the cage.

"Yeah, we decided to include some crustacean friends." Patch smirked.

Charlie opened the cell and David smiled, hugging the German Shepherd instantly.

"Gabriel's Horn is finally mine!" Red grinned darkly as he strode off with the heavenly instrument as Charlie, Patch, and David started to run off.

"Boss, they're hitting the bricks!" Carface pointed out.

"Ah, let them," Red replied as he ran up the steps. "I have what I want!"

Cherry began to muffle out something while having to be next to Red.

"SILENCE!" Red scolded as he was about to blow the horn.

Cherry glared up at him. Red began to blow through the holy horn. He blew through it once. Carface laughed at him though.

"SILENCE!" Red scolded, he then looked as a cell door opened and there were now howling dogs.

"Wha?" Carface asked, confused.

Red then blew the horn harder which made the clouds glow briefly and a beam of light was coming down for Alcatraz prison.

"Guys, what's happening?!" David yelped as he ran with Patch and Charlie.

"Don't worry about it!" Charlie replied. "Let's just get outta here!"

"Yeah, and we gotta get out of here, fast!" Patch told him.

As the horn blew, the gates of Heaven were acting up and grew demonic as it swallowed up the deceased dogs and dragged them out of Heaven and straight down to Earth. And where this also reawakened Anne-Marie's father. The dogs screamed as they were sucked out of Heaven.

"The time has come." The demonic father smiled evilly.

The dogs yipped, whimpered, and whined as they were placed in the prison cells. Anne-Marie's biological father laughed as he rose from the depths of Hell to join Red in his reign of terror.

"Come on, you guys!" Colette called out.

"But where's Cherry!?" Mo frowned.

"Yeah, we can't leave without her!" Atticus added in.

Cherry wiggled and struggled, falling to the floor and moved herself across the floor as she saw her friends leaving. But they then stopped as they saw all of the deceased dogs from heaven coming back down to Earth.

"Oh, my gosh!" Patch yelped.

"Charles! Patch! What have you both done?!" Annabelle asked as she was being pulled down to earth as well.

"Guys, we gotta do something!" Itchy yelped as he was in a boat with Sasha.

"No, Mr. Itchy, me and Charlie are going to have to fix our mistake." Patch said.

"You guys?" Itchy frowned.

"Itch, it's my fault," Charlie replied. "I've got to do something. Get David home safely," he then looked to the Dalmatian puppy. "Come on, kiddo."

Charlie and Patch then ran off towards the prison.

"CHARLIE!" David yelped. "NOOO!"

Cookie and Lucky were at Charlie and Patch's sides as they ran into Alcatraz.

"Lucky, Cookie, you go with them and make sure they make it back to San Francisco safely." Patch said as he used the magic from his Equestrian medallion/Pound Puppy tag, teleporting the two back to the others.

"You are one impressive pup." Charlie said.

"Thank you." Patch nodded as he went off.

"Are they crazy?! They can't do this alone." Atticus said.

Red grinned darkly and grew to a large size as the Devil himself rose from Hell and came to the hell cat's side.

"Excellent work, my pet." Satan grinned evilly.

"I'm so glad you are pleased, Master," Red said before showing Cherry. "And I think you'll be even more pleased."

"And who do we have here?" Satan glanced at the perky goth. "A tortured soul who roams the Earth with nowhere else to go?"

Cherry's eyes widened as she looked at the Devil himself to see that he did in fact exist as much as Heaven and God.

"She's one of the Chosen Ones from the prophecy." Red told him.

"Prophecy?" Cherry muffled.

This made Satan smile evilly even more, finding this information very useful.

"And now for an even greater power source..." Red said as he morphed a hellish red sphere in his claws and sent it off.

Drell stood normally until he was suddenly hit with the sphere and grew deathly pale and fell to his knees. "Oof... I don't feel so good.." he mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Mo asked.

"I feel weak..." Drell frowned. "Like... Someone just drained my magic out of me..."

"This is bad." Mo said.

"Very bad..." Drell hung his head. "I feel so worthless..."

"Come on, we gotta hurry inside." Mo said.

"Please..." Drell nodded. "Wait, where's that Anne-Marie girl?"

"She must have went inside." David said as both he and Atticus ran inside.

"Stay close." Atticus warned David.

David nodded as they went in as the world was literally going to Hell.

"This is going to be one dangerous adventure." Colette said.

"Oh, I fear it already is." Sasha whispered.

The prison started to flow down between the water as it grew very stormy.

Charlie and Patch ran inside.

"Boss, Charlie and the kid are comin' back!" Carface called.

"Who are back?" Satan asked.

"Charlie and Patch..." Red chuckled darkly. "Those mutts are going to be punished!"

"Go ahead and have fun, my pet." Satan smiled evilly.

"Gladly." Red grinned just as dark.

Anne-Marie clung to a cell and glared firmly at her biological father who was the almighty devil himself, guardian of the Gates of Hell and the Prince of Darkness.

"I only wish my daughter was here." Satan smiled evilly.

"Don't worry about it..." Anne-Marie quietly growled as she narrowed her sapphire eyes at her biological father.

"It's a cat's world now!" Red roared to Charlie and Patch, then lunged out for them, but he was held back somehow.

"Let them GO!" David demanded as he came with the others and had tied Red's tail back.

"Yeah!" Atticus added in.

Red snarled at them.

"Eat water, Pussycat!" Atticus broke a pipe open that drenched the devilish cat in water as he ran off with the others to avoid his dark clutches.

Red growled as the water soaked him, but he slammed his paw down, trapping David between his claws.

Anne-Marie flew with her angel wings as she glared down at the hellish cat and her birth father. "That's enough!"

"Ah, Anne-Marie, just who I was hoping to see." Satan said to his daughter.

"You leave that boy alone, he never did anything to you!" Anne-Marie glared. "It isn't right!"

"Who's that?" David looked up at Anne-Marie with wonder.

"That's Anne-Marie, she's a friend." Atticus told him.

Anne-Marie flew towards Itchy and grabbed the horn away from Red.

"Get back here, girly!" Satan glared at his birth daughter.

"Never!" Anne-Marie glared.

"Which do you want?" Red taunted as he held the others back. "The horn or your friends?"

"Let us go, you big jerk!" Atticus called out.

Anne-Marie glared as she ran with Itchy after putting him down on the floor. Red then grabbed both of them.

"Everybody, scatter!" Anne-Marie suggested as she grabbed the horn from Itchy's mouth. She then gave it to Charlie.

Red snarled and he tried to go for the wiener dog since he had the horn last. Itchy grinned nervously as he was empty 'handed'. Red growled and looked up as Charlie ran up with the horn in his possession now.

"Play the horn, Charles!" Annabelle called from her cell. "The horn!"

Patch began to go along with him, so then neither Red or Satan could stop Charlie from playing the horn.

"Oh, be careful, Patch..." Colette whispered to the Dalmatian puppy she had loved for a long time.

"Please be careful." Atticus said as he began to pray for Patch's and Charlie's safety.

"I already lost him once, I don't wanna lose him again." Colette came close next to Atticus.

Atticus hugged Colette as they watched the Dalmatian puppy go off. Red roared for the German Shepherd and Dalmatian puppy as they went out to play the horn and reached out to them to stop them.

"Leave Cherry alone, she's my friend!" Anne-Marie glared at her biological father.

"Beat it!" Satan hissed at his angel daughter.

"Satan, you let Cherry go right now!" Atticus glared.

"I'm sorry, but she wanted this." Satan glared as he held Cherry hostage. "She traded her soul to overthrow Drell."

"What?" Atticus asked shocked.

"Well, don't take my word for it!" Satan held out Cherry to them.

Cherry bowed her head and looked anxiously to her friends.

"Cherry, please say that it isn't true." Atticus said.

Cherry squeezed her eyes shut.

"Cherry...?" Atticus asked.

Cherry breathed wheezily. "It's true..." she admitted.

This shocked Atticus so much that he was almost a loss for words.

"Atticus, please try to understand..." Cherry looked very sorry.

Dark crystals started to form around them.

"I promise you, Cherry, after this is all over, I will make Drell pay." Atticus said out of the coldness in his voice.

"Atticus..." Cherry's eyes popped from her skull.

"Satan, I won't repeat myself, let go of Cherry and sell her soul back to her now!" Atticus glared.

"I don't see why I should!" Satan snarled at the boy.

Anne-Marie came up behind her father, she took out a heavenly bow and arrow, trying to shoot at him.

"If you don't, I'll make you!" Atticus threatened.

"I'd like to see you try, boy..." Satan snarled. "The girl may be friends with Lucifer's mortal living daughter, but she must suffer for her misdeed! She must spend her eternity in Hellfire."

"Atticus, just go, I deserve this." Cherry said.

"No! I won't lose you! I'll even duel him if it means I don't have to lose my best friend!" Atticus told her.

"Duel, eh?" Satan asked.

Atticus looked to the devil. "Look, I'll take you on..." he challenged. "Whatever it takes, if I win, you let Cherry live... But if you win... You can take me instead."

"You? You..." Satan lowly growled, then looked curious. "You would take her place?"

"Atticus, no, you don't know what you're doing!" Mo yelped.

"If I did, would you let my best friend go?" Atticus replied, staying strong.

"Yes, but you must be absolutely sure you know what you're doing," Satan said. "If you los,e then that means you'll never see any of your friends or loved ones ever again."

"I understand." Atticus said, firm.

"DONE!" Satan barked as he held out his large hand.

Atticus glared as he shook hands, making a deal with the devil.

"What is your task request?" Satan then folded his arms to the Wiccan/merman boy.

"We duel in a sword fight." Atticus said.

"Deal..." Satan laughed. "Just know that you'll lose, boy..."

Atticus kept his brave face.

"Wait here." Satan walked off for a brief moment.

"Atticus, what is the matter with you?!" Drell whispered sharply to the boy. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into! Look, Cherry's frail and miserable, she's lived her life."

Atticus simply looked away from him and waited for Satan to get back.

"Atticus..." Mo said. "I know you have a lot on your mind and I may never see you again, but... I wanna tell you something in case you don't make it."

Atticus looked back to her.

"Atticus... I... I..." Mo stammered slightly. "I..."

Atticus covered her mouth with one finger while giving her a reassuring smile. Mo looked to him as her face turned bright red slightly.


	17. Chapter 17

After a while, Satan came back with two swords while his pet went to take care of the two dogs that had the horn. Red emerged from Alcatraz to chase after Charlie and Patch.

Anne-Marie came to Atticus's side. "You sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yes, I've done secret training with Shining Armor from time-to-time of when he's not performing his duties as a prince of course." Atticus said.

"You've done training with Shining Armor?" Cherry and Mo asked. 

"Shh!" Atticus shushed them. 

"Just be careful," Anne-Marie whispered to him. "I'm pretty sure he cheats, he's the Devil after all."

"I know." Atticus said.

Anne-Marie nodded, then put her hands together and bowed her head.

Atticus came over to Satan. "I'm ready."

"Good." Satan said before handing him a rusty sword.

Atticus took it and narrowed his eyes.

"Let the duel begin!" Satan laughed darkly.

The two of them began to clash their swords together, starting the duel. The others stayed back to they wouldn't get hurt.

"Up here!" Patch called to Charlie as they climbed up a tower.

Charlie climbed after him. Red snarled and then jumped onto the water tower to go after them.

"Try and catch us if you can, Furball!" Patch called out.

Red growled as he climbed after the two angelic dogs.

Charlie looked ahead and saw a Water Pressure label. "This should clean him off..." he suggested as he then pulled a lever. "Take a bath!"

Unfortunately, there was no water, and only dusty ash that hit Red in the face.

"Aw, come on!" Patch groaned as they climbed further up the tower and made it to the top. "Hurry, Charlie, blow! BLOW!"

Charlie was just about to blow the horn.

"Enough stupid pet tricks!" Red snarled as he pinched his claws together to make the collars squeeze Charlie and Patch around their necks.

Patch began to try to ignore the pain as he jumped at Red to keep him away from Charlie. Red continued to make the pain worse as he got on top of the water tower.

Charlie noticed that the tower was slowly coming off its hinges, then smirked darkly as he grabbed the horn before it could fall any further. "Red, I like your spirit..." he then pretended to drop the horn before grabbing it again. "Oops!" 

Red snarled as he grabbed Patch and threw him down, then came for Charlie.

"Hope you can dog paddle!" Charlie grabbed Patch as he jumped back against the water with the puppy.

"CHARLIE!" Red crawled further which made the water tower wobble.

"Here we go!" Patch called out.

Red started to fall and splash against the water as the good dogs disappeared. A flood of water then splashed down over the devil cat and was coming into the prison.

Sasha and David screamed, running up the stairs as Red was about to fall flat on the floor while Atticus and Satan were still fighting.

"You seem to have experience in sword fighting." Satan smirked.

"You could say I'm skilled." Atticus retorted as he kept strong, he had to do this for Cherry.

The water splashed over briefly. Anne-Marie then flew up in the air, she made a golden sphere in her hands and threw it in Red's direction on the floor. This made the floor crack open and Hell's fires were reaching for Red to drag him back down below. Red of course wasn't going to go down so easily as he grabbed onto the railing attached to the stairs. As Satan and Atticus dueled, Atticus's sword began to start glowing. The devil and Wiccan boy stopped for a moment as the sword glowed.

"That's impossible!" Satan hissed.

Anne-Marie looked very hopeful after she had a prayer for Atticus. The sword began to change from rusty to brand new as it showed his cutie mark/element of harmony in the center of the sword. Atticus's eyes briefly glowed.

'I will always believe in your faith and as long as you have the Elements of Harmony, you will never be alone...' Celestia's voice said in Atticus's head. 'You will now wield the legendary Equestrian Friendship Sword which is handed down for generations and only given to the kindest, noblest, and bravest of ponies... I trust you to wield it from now on and carry on the tradition going far back for many moons...'

"I won't let you down, Princess." Atticus smiled.

Satan growled as he then charged to Atticus, about to slice him. Atticus returned focus, then used his sword for protection.

"Give up," Anne-Marie told her natural, bedeviled father. "You'll never win as long as Atticus believes in himself and the power of the Heavens can save him!"

Red began to climb up as he used the railing to help him while bringing down David, Sasha, and Colette. David screamed as he held on for dear life while holding onto the cocker spaniel puppy and adult Irish Setter. Red snarled as he was about to finish them off and it looked like it was all over then. That was until... The horn was being blown instantly.

They all looked up to see Charlie playing the horn. There were golden glows emerging from the clouds as the heavenly horn was played. And where this began to make both Satan and Red weaker. The cells were opened and the dogs were being summoned back into Heaven.

Atticus continued to duel Satan until the sword glowed and fired off the Element of Harmony's powers right at the devil. Anne-Marie kissed the palms of her hand which made a heavenly golden glow appear and it flew towards the Elements of Harmony to strengthen them against the Devil's hell power. And where it seemed to do the trick as Satan was now defeated.

Red screamed as he was in deep pain while the dogs were going back into their afterlife. The powers of the Heavens and the Elements of Harmony had gotten rid of Satan as he was turned to stone that not even he could break free. 

"THIS IS NOT OVER, ATTICUS FUDO!" a darker, more terrifying voice yelled. "I WILL COME FOR THEE AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!"

"Where'd you get that line? The Wizard of Oz?!" Atticus asked, already knowing that while the Elements of Harmony and Heaven are around Satan would never be freed from his stone imprisonment.

Red yelled in dismay as he was being pulled right back down underground as the dogs were free to return to Heaven. With that, the Alcatraz was also lifted back above the water like it was supposed to be.

"Hello," Charlie came up to the hole that Red was brought underneath of with his evil master and sniffled. "Double chili cat burger with onions and pickles..." he then looked over to his friends. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah, we're all okay." Colette said.

The others nodded and told the German Shepherd that they were all alright.

"I'm fine." Sasha smiled.

"Me too." Itchy added.

Anne-Marie flew down and came over to the others. 

"Well done, Squeaker." Charlie smiled at his oldest human friend.

"Thanks, Charlie." Anne-Marie smiled.

Charlie smiled as he rubbed up against the orphan girl. Anne-Marie smiled and hugged him right back.

"I told you I'd be back for you someday..." Charlie smiled up at her, very proud of her.

"Hey, I'm okay too, guys!" a voice called.

The others turned to see a closed vent as Carface nervously crawled out from it. 

"Where's Red?" Carface asked with a nervous grin.

"Back where he belongs." Atticus said, still carrying the legendary sword.

"Good riddance..." Carface chuckled and spat slightly.

Anne-Marie firmly glared to Carface, remembering the pain and torment he used to put her through before she met Charlie, Itchy, Cherry, and Atticus.

"It's okay, I won't let him hurt you." David said to Anne-Marie, even if he didn't know the girl's history with the bullying dog.

"He better not." Anne-Marie glared to Carface, but looked grateful to David's help and security.

"By the way, Carface, what did you pay Red for your collar?" Patch asked.

"He wanted the bottom of my shoes or something," Carface laughed like it was a stupid idea, however, a skeleton came up behind him which overwhelmed the others. "I don't even wear shoes! The stupid cat!"

"STUPID DOG!" Red's voice snapped. "IT WAS YOUR SOUL! And as for you, girl, since your friend won, your soul is yours once again." Red's voice then told Cherry.

"Hm?" Cherry asked with wide eyes before she suddenly glowed briefly and floated in the air as a white sphere blasted her in the face and her soul was restored to her and she was placed back down on the floor.

Atticus ran to Cherry and hugged her instantly. Cherry sniffled and hugged him back. Everyone, but Carface, was happy for the two of them, because he was being dragged down to Hell. Skeletons then took Carface right back down to Hell for his eternal punishment and would no longer be allowed into Heaven.

Itchy chuckled and looked up to Anne-Marie and the others. "Whatya know? And I thought all dogs go to Heaven."

"That was his second chance and he blew it." Atticus said.

"Yep." Colette agreed.

There was a glowing and twinkling golden light from Heaven which only meant one thing...

Itchy walked over to it and floated up, looking to his fellow dogs who were deceased. "Come on, guys, time to go."

"Already?" Charlie frowned.

"Looks like it." Patch also frowned.

"David..." Charlie looked to the human boy. "Let Sasha and maybe Squeaker take you home."

"Charlie..." David's voice cracked as he hugged the German Shepherd one last time. "Don't go."

Sasha bowed her head sadly.

"Hey, I'll always be your Guardian Angel," Charlie promised. "And like I told Squeaker once, goodbyes aren't forever."

"That's right." Atticus said.

Sasha looked very sad as David pet Charlie as he started to back up with Patch into heaven's light.

"Goodbye, Atticus..." Patch said to his owner. "At least I got to see you one last time..."

"Goodbye, Patch." Atticus said before hugging his Dalmatian puppy.

Patch nuzzled up against Atticus one last time as he then floated and his and Charlie's collars disappeared.

"Sasha..." Charlie sighed softly as he collected the horn. "I love you."

"I love you too, Charlie." Sasha whispered back.

With that, the three dogs disappeared with the beam of light and they were instantly back in Heaven, leaving the others back on Earth. Colette looked up and had a tear roll down her left cheek as she then closed her eyes and bowed her head as Patch was gone from her once more.

Patch, Charlie, and Itchy were now going up straight to Heaven until they stopped in the middle between Heaven and the Earth.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Itchy looked around as they were stuck. "Is this thing stuck between floors?"

Annabelle floated down with a smile. "I'll take the horn from here, Charles."

"What, you afraid I'll drop it?" Charlie scoffed as he chucked the horn out of his paws.

It flew right past Annabelle, worrying her as she tried to catch it so it wouldn't be down on Earth again. Patch then caught it with an apologetic smile and handed Gabriel's Horn back to the head whippet angel.

Annabelle smiled to him and patted him on the head as she collected the horn, then looked back to the German Shepherd. "There's someone who still needs to go back where he belongs."

"I already took care of David..." Charlie shrugged.

"Not David," Annabelle explained. "You, Charlie."

Patch smiled, happy that Charlie was given another chance to go back to Earth, but then looked at his watch.

"For what you've done, you deserve a second chance," Annabelle continued as she took out a golden pair of wings for the German Shepherd. "Claim this in, say, 20 years?" she then added with a modest giggle.

Charlie smiled. "You mean...?"

"Mm-hmm." Annabelle smiled and nodded to confirm that Charlie could live life again.

"Guys, you hear that?" Charlie hugged Itchy and Patch. "We're going back!"

"Wahoo!" Patch cheered.

"Nah, not this wiener dog," Itchy spoke up. "See, when you can fly..." he then got out of Charlie's hold and flew by the clouds in sheer happiness. "Short legs don't matter."

"You're gonna stay here then?" Patch asked, a little sad.

"I'm gonna miss you both...." Itchy smiled, taking Charlie and Patch's frontal paws. "Patch, you be a good boy and we'll always have Puppy School."

"We'll miss you too, Mr. Itchy." Patch frowned before taking his watch off his neck.

"Couldn't have done it without ya." Charlie added. "Take care of yourself."

Itchy then sniffled as he started to cry, floating next to Annabelle.

Annabelle collected Patch's watch in her paw. "Your parents would be so proud."

"I'm going back to Earth, Annabelle, I hope for the rest of my life." Patch said.

"Of course you are, my young pup, I just wanted you to be up to Heaven to see what waited for you in the future." Annabelle giggled.

"Wait, what...?" Patch glanced at the pink whippet. 

"That's right." Annabelle nodded as she started up Patch's watch.

Patch looked on the edge as he floated next to Charlie. After a moment, Annabelle and Itchy floated up as the lights in Heaven seemed to dim down and the adult German Shepherd and Dalmatian teenage puppy started to lose floating pattern and they fell straight down to Earth.


	18. Chapter 18

Anne-Marie decided to go with Cherry, Atticus, Mo, Forte, Drell, and Sasha to take David back home as they bowed their heads, slightly in sadness. Drell looked at Atticus as the boy continued to avoid eye contact with him. Atticus refused to even look at Drell. Cherry glanced up at Drell as they walked along.

"What is with him? He hasn't said a word or even looked at me, I want to know why, but I don't know if he'll speak to me and where it's starting to really make me worry." Drell said.

"Oh, I don't know..." Cherry glanced. "Maybe it's because you treat me like your own personal chew toy or something."

"What?....." Drell asked before finally realizing something. "Wait, is that why you had sold your soul to Red?"

Atticus stopped in his tracks before clenching his fists out of anger towards Drell.

Cherry put her hands to her eyes as she started to cry. "I'm sorry, Drell, but you drive me CRAZY!" she confessed. "No matter what I say, no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, you just always belittle and berate me! All you do is push me around and punish me for no reason, you threaten me all the time like my life doesn't matter!"

Drell was about to speak with her, but saw that Atticus was angry right now.

"Um, Cherry, I think we should leave Atticus and Drell alone." Mo suggested.

"But I'm not done dissing on Drell..." Cherry bit her lip.

"Now, Cerise." Forte said firmly then.

Cherry stared at the ground. "Erm, yes, Maestro."

"Good luck." Mo said to Drell said before going on ahead with the others.

Drell sighed as they then went off. Cherry glanced back to Drell before going off officially with the others.

"Atticus...?" Drell looked over to the boy he had grown very fond of.

"WHY?!" Atticus glared. "WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST LEFT CHERRY ALONE AND STOP MAKING HER LIFE MISERABLE BY GIVING HER BAD LUCK!" 

Drell stepped back in slight surprise and alarm. "N-N-Now, Atticus, there's no need to shout..."

"WHY SHOULDN'T I?! YOU'VE DONE NOTHING, BUT MAKE MY BEST FRIEND'S LIFE MISERABLE, I THREATENED YOU AND THREATENED YOU, HOPING THAT WOULD MAKE YOU STOP PICKING ON CHERRY, BUT NO, THANKS TO YOU, I NEARLY LOST MY BEST FRIEND!" Atticus shouted.

"I've never seen him that angry..." Mo whispered.

"Neither have I..." Cherry sounded afraid.

"Atticus, please try to calm down..." Drell nervously put his hands up.

"DRELL, I HATE YOU AND I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Atticus shouted before walking off to catch up with the others.

Drell felt very hurt and broken by that, then removed his glasses and put his hand to his eyes as he looked like he was in extreme pain.

Cherry looked zen for a moment.

"Hey." Atticus came back.

Cherry then jumped and put her hands up like in a karate fight pose, but settled down once he came by. "I guess it didn't go well."

"I got all of my anger out on Drell." Atticus said.

"Yikes..." Mo looked nervous.

"It's okay..." Atticus promised. 

Cherry looked back at Drell, then walked over. "Uh, sir?"

"Oh, just leave me alone..." Drell sounded miserable as he walked the other way down the street. "Whatever, Butler... Just... Leave me alone..."

Cherry frowned, she didn't like this so far as she held her stomach as it felt stung somehow on the inside.

"Cherry, are you okay?" Mo asked. "You look like you kind of have a stomach ache." she then said.

"I don't know..." Cherry shrugged. "I hate Drell and yet, I kinda feel sorry for him right now."

"You must be feeling two things: guilt or sadness." Mo said.

Cherry shrugged, then looked up as there was a strange sensation coming. Sasha also looked over, curiously.

"What... What is it, girl?" David asked in worry.

A golden glow was coming down from the clouds.

"Incoming!" Patch's voice called out. His voice caught everyone's attention, even Drell heard it.

The others jumped back slightly as the golden glow hit the ground and the smoke cleared to reveal two familiar dogs.

"Can you believe it?" Charlie chuckled once he and Patch landed. "We got a weekend pass!"

"We're back for the rest of our lives." Patch smiled.

"Oh, Charlie." Sasha was glad the German Shepherd was back.

"David?" a female voice asked.

The others looked to see a dark-haired woman coming out of a house.

"Tom, it's David!" the female beamed as she ran over to the blonde boy.

A blonde man who looked a lot like David stepped out and smiled as well. "Davey!"

"Davey?" Patch whispered. "Must be David's nickname."

"Oh, David," the dark-haired woman hugged the blonde boy as the man was rushing over as well. 

"You're all right!" the man, Tom, held up David in the air with an overjoyed smile.

"I've been worried sick about you." the woman told her step-son.

"You worried about me?" David asked, shocked.

"Oh, sweetie..." the woman gently poked his nose with a fond smile. "Having this baby doesn't mean I don't love you."

David smiled, finding out that he had no reason to run away.

"I've missed you so much," the woman hugged her new son warmly in her arms. "We're one big happy family again."

"I missed you too... Mom..." David hugged her right back, loving her instantly.

Atticus was happy for David. 

"Who's this, Davey?" Tom spotted Anne-Marie. "Your new girlfriend?"

David and Anne-Marie blushed and glanced to each other sheepishly as that was just said.

"It seems like those two just might be meant for each other." Atticus whispered.

"I agree." Drell whispered back.

Once Atticus saw who he was whispering to, he turned his head away from the strong warlock. Drell smiled, but then frowned and looked down at the ground, feeling doomed around Atticus.

"Dad... Mom... Speaking of one big family," David followed his parents inside their home. "Do you think we have room for a pet or two?"

"Now tell me the truth, why did you come back, Charlie Barkin?" Sasha asked the German Shepherd with a small smirk.

"Well, I came back for you." Charlie said.

"Yeah?" Sasha asked as her emerald eyes twinkled slightly.

"Actually, I kinda like the idea of being Mr. Sasha." Charlie smiled bashfully.

The two were just about to kiss.

"Hey, guys!" David called as he somehow made two food bowls appear, filled with food for the German Shepherd and Irish Setter. "I worked a little magic!"

Charlie and Sasha smiled to that and then shared a kiss with each other as they then went off inside the house together to live as David's new pets.

"Come on, Charlie, let's go home." Anne-Marie said.

Charlie was about to go with her, but looked back to Sasha and David, smiling to them.

"Charlie?" Anne-Marie looked back, then realized that he belonged here with David and Sasha, they needed him more than she did, besides, she already had her own happy ending the last time, she then smiled and pet the dog. "You are home..." she then said with a smile as she pet him one last time and kissed his cheek just like old times. "Goodbye, Charlie, I love you."

"I love you too, Squeaker." Charlie smiled.

Anne-Marie smiled and let the German Shepherd alone to his own happy ending. Charlie and Sasha then had a kiss together and they went inside the house after David, now going to live with him and his big happy family as their pets.

"What a happy ending, huh?" Drell nudged Atticus with a smile. "Huh?"

Atticus glared at him and looked away.

"Right?" Drell continued. "Huh? Atticus...?"

Atticus still didn't answer the strong warlock's question.

"Heh..." Drell laughed weakly, then stared at the floor.

Anne-Marie looked around as there was a golden glow around her and she was being sent back to where she once was before. "Oh, uh, goodbye!" she waved.

The others waved to her as she was suddenly leaving. Once after she left, Patch went to Cherry to find out what was going on with Atticus and Drell before seeing she had a terrible feeling in her stomach.


	19. Chapter 19

"Guuhh...." Cherry groaned and fell to her knees.

"Cherry!" Patch yelped and ran to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh..." Cherry looked weaker than usual. "I don't feel so hot..."

"Okay, what's going on?" Patch asked. "First, Atticus isn't speaking to Drell and now you're feeling weak."

What Patch just said gave Cherry an idea why she was feeling this way.

"Patch..." Cherry mumbled.

"Cherry?" Patch looked back, very concerned about her since she looked very sick.

"I think they're doing this..." Cherry whispered.

"What do you mean?" Patch asked.

"Well, you see..." Cherry said before taking a deep breath and began explaining why Atticus was no longer speaking or looking at Drell.

Patch nodded, then his eyes widened as Cherry was going very fast in explanation about what happened with her life and how Atticus often protected her from Drell's abuse and basically what had been going on while the Dalmatian puppy was looking for Gabriel's Horn for Heaven. He then looked away as she went on and on and on... He even rubbed his paw against his belly and looked at his claws as she continued. 

Cherry then panted once she finished. "And... That's why.... They're not speaking to each other...*wheeze* I think something's wrong in the balance... *gasp*... I'm gonna pass out now..." she said before fallign flat on her face.

"So then, why doesn't Drell just apologize for what he's done to you over the years?" Patch asked.

"Because he's Drell..." Cherry said as she had her eyes closed and had her tongue sticking out to appear dead. "You can't reason with him..."

Patch looked concerned for Cherry even if she wasn't his best friend, she was the best friend of his owner and decided that there was only one way to stop this pain in the perky goth as he went up to Atticus and Drell. Cherry groaned and flopped again, closing her eyes and sticking her tongue out.

Patch hid an eye roll at that, then came over to the two. "Uh, guys?"

Atticus and Drell glanced to the Dalmatian puppy.

"Great, what do you want, Spot?" Drell asked.

"It's Cherry, she isn't feeling well." Patch said.

"Pfft," Drell scoffed. 'That girl's always miserable."

"Yeah, because of you!" Atticus glared.

Drell glared back. "Don't yell at me, boy!"

Cherry began to feel even worse.

"Guys, stop fighting, it's making her feel worse!" Patch told them.

"We're not doing anything, she's just complaining for attention..." Drell rolled his eyes.

"Oh, really, then tell me this, have you ever once seen her feel pain that wasn't done by you or any of the bad luck you caused for her?" Patch asked with narrowed eyes.

Drell began to think about that and where he couldn't remember the last time Cherry felt pain that wasn't done by him or any bad luck he gave her.

Cherry lightly groaned. "Why is life so unfair...?"

"Guys, please stop fighting, the more you fight, the weaker Cherry seems to get." Patch said.

"I don't get what our relationship has to do with her..." Drell growled as he folded his arms.

"Really?" Mo asked. "You don't?"

"Not really..." Drell rolled his eyes. "I mean sure, Atticus is best friends with her, but what do we both have to do with her well-being?"

"You really do not know?" Celestia's voice asked him as she appeared.

Drell's eyes widened and he dropped down to the ground and bowed to the alicorn princess. Atticus, Mo, and Patch bowed down to her as well, Cherry would have too if she wasn't in much pain. Patrick and Emily appeared next to her.

Drell looked up. "Hey, it's Emily and Patty Cakes."

"Not the time, Drell." Patrick said.

"Patrick is quite right." Celestia said.

"Yes..." Drell bowed his head. "What is your request, oh mighty Princess of Equestria?"

"I don't have any requests, but I would like you to know that the reason why Cherry is in pain." Celestia told him.

"Yes?" Drell looked up as sweat beaded down his face.

Celestia used her magic as her horn glowed and they were all shown the balance of the world.

"Whoa!" Mo held onto Atticus absentmindedly in slight worry.

"This is the balance of the world and the balance of fate." Celestia said.

"Which is the balance for my stomach?" Cherry groaned.

"Shh!" Drell scolded. "Princess Celestia is speaking."

"Don't speak to Cherry like that!" Atticus glared.

Drell mocked Atticus in a high voice, then blew a raspberry while rolling his eyes.

"Uh, guys, you might wanna look at the balance of fate." Mo said with wide eyes.

Drell and Atticus glared to each other, then did just that. And were surprised to see that the balance was off as one side was lower than the other. 

"This is your balance." Celestia informed.

"Our Balance?" Atticus asked.

"What do you mean?" Drell added.

"You two have a strong bond," Celestia said. "Atticus, you may not be his son, but Drell loves you like his own flesh and blood."

Atticus looked shocked and touched to hear that. "But if that's true, then why can't he just leave Cherry alone and stop torturing her with bad luck?"

"Yes, Drell, why?" Celestia narrowed her violet eyes to make the warlock confess for himself.

Drell sharply sighed. "Skippy dared me to curse a mortal... Not just any mortal, but a spawn of the greatest witch outside of my family... Malovea Youngblood."

"So, this was all because of a dare?" Atticus asked.

"We were young, we were foolish, we were drunk..." Drell defended. "I was gonna do it for a little bit, but it was kinda funny to see her suffer... So I make bad things happen to her because, well, it amuses me!"

"Couldn't you have cursed someone else?" Atticus asked. "Someone like Gem?"

"Gem?" Drell asked.

"Sabrina's arch enemy in school, Gemini Stone," Patch explained. "She's really mean and snotty... I think she deserved to be cursed more than Cherry."

"Yay, someone empathizes with me!" Cherry grinned nervously with a light chuckle. 

Drell glanced at her and raised a brow. Cherry yelped and put her head back down as she shivered on the ground in fear.

"Okay, okay, I'll take the curse off her and place it on Gem instead." Drell said.

Cherry looked back up. "You'd do that, sir?"

"I just wanna do one more teeny tiny thing..." Drell requested.

"What?" Atticus glared slightly.

"I wanna punish Cherry if she rightfully deserves it as an act of karma." Drell finalized.

"What could she possibly do that deserves punishment from karma?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, I ain't no bad seed!" Cherry glared.

"Just anytime she acts pretentious and does bad things, then I'll make terrible things happen to her," Drell said. "FAR worse than what she's been hit with so far."

"Oh, please, what's the worse you could do?" Cherry asked.

"Well, I could...." Drell shrugged, then whispered into her ear.

Cherry's eyes widened, then gaped at him. "THAT'S INHUMAN!"

"Don't tempt me." Drell folded his arms.

"Okay, okay, if she ever does anything bad, then you can let karma do it's work." Atticus said.

"Deal." Drell grinned. "Cherry Butler, I will come for you!"

"You horrify me, sir..." Cherry bit her lip.

Forte glared to Drell, his eyes seemed to flash to the warlock. Drell twirled his hands around before removing the curse on Cherry and letting it be on Gem instead.

"Ooohhh..." Cherry's eyes widened as she flopped slightly. "I feel... Unusual... I'm not sure if in a good way or not..." 

Drell conjured up a can of soda and held it out to her. Cherry took it and flinched as she popped the top, then wiped her forehead as it didn't spray or splash all over her.

"See, the curse is now no longer on you." Drell said.

"Wow, thanks, Drell." Cherry smiled.

"Don't get too comfortable...." Drell glared right into her eyes. "If you slip up, I'll make you wish you were never born."

"Kinda late for that..." Cherry rolled her eyes slightly, but gave a nod in respect to him for lifting her curse finally.

"Good girl." Drell said.

Cherry had puppy eyes. Drell rolled his eyes and patted her on the head.

Skippy then suddenly appeared, looking worried.

"Oh, Skippy!" Drell hugged his tiny friend very tightly. "I never thought we'd see you again!"

Skippy's eyes bugged out of his head and he tried to get out of the hug because it was too tight on him.

"How've you been, Skippy?" Celestia asked.

Skippy smiled weakly, he got out of Drell's hold and bowed to the alicorn princess before doing a sleight of hand which conjured up a flower in his hand and he held it out to her with a shy smile, tipping his hat to her like a gentleman.

"Oh, thank you, Skippy." Celestia smiled.

Skippy smiled to her.

Celestia levitated the flower and placed it in her flowing mane. "Now, Cherry, Atticus, Mo, Patch, you must visit Equestria as soon as possible... There is a new member of the family you must meet."

"You mean Shining Armor and Cadence had the baby?" Mo asked.

"Mm-hmm~..." Celestia smiled. "You really must meet the little foal up close."

"We will." Atticus said.

"Great, oh, and you may bring with you whoever you would like to come." Celestia smiled.

"Hmm..." the four thought about who they should bring with them to meet Shining Armor and Cadence's new baby.

"You have plenty of time to think about it," Celestia said to them. "Twilight insists you all meet the foal, oh, I remember hearing the story of how Pinkie Pie had a hard time not spoiling the secret, especially during that scavenger hunt."

"Yeah, that day was hard on me to keep the secret as well." Atticus and Cherry said. The two glanced to each other, then looked forward again to the alicorn princess.

"You two are getting closer and closer every day..." Celestia said to them.

"Atticus insists we're best friends..." Cherry rolled her eyes. "I think he deserves better than me."

"No way." Atticus shook his head.

"Trust me, you do..." Cherry put her hands in her pockets. "I bet by the time you ask Mo to marry you, you'll wish you listened to me."

"How so?" Patch asked.

"I'm not a very happy person, pup." Cherry said with a smile, though in Cherry's case, a smile was almost usually anything but happy.

"I'm glad you're my friend, Cherry." Atticus smiled.

"Why?" Cherry asked like it was pointless.

"Because we've been friends for years and I don't think anyone could have given me as many adventures that you have." Atticus said.

"How do I give adventures?" Cherry asked.

Atticus brought out many books, each one with a title saying 'Atticus's Journal'. "These are all filled with every adventure I've ever had." he said.

Cherry held out her hands. Atticus put the journal in her hands.

Cherry nearly stumbled backward. "Yow!"

"Oops, sorry, forgot how heavy it is to everyone else." Atticus said.

"Or maybe she's just lazy..." Drell came behind Cherry and yelled in her ear. "GET SOME EXERCISE, YOU WEAK LINK!"

Cherry fell forward to the floor from the yelling and heaviness of the book. After getting it off her and on the ground, Cherry opened the book to read what Atticus wrote down in it.

"You okay?" Atticus asked.

"Still alive, aren't I?" Cherry asked as she cracked the book open to see the beginning. "'What a surprising turn of events... Years after my adoption and I'm already meeting magical creatures I could only imagine in my dreams to be real, we met a Fairy Godmother and she helped us get to the Ball after Anastasia and Drizella tore up our clothes'." 

She continued to read as it was filled with everything that the two of them had been through together.

"'Cherry and I decided to leave Cinderella and Prince Henry and we discovered new freinds named Lex and Tim who brought us to their grandfather's theme park he calls 'Jurassic Park'..." Cherry continued, Atticus was not kidding around.

"Wow, how many adventures did you write down in your journals?" Patch asked his owner.

"Every single adventure that I've ever had with Cherry." Atticus said.

"How many?" Mo asked.

"Too many..." Cherry droned as she couldn't believe what she was reading.

"I've been keeping each adventure we've ever been on in my journals." Atticus said.

"You're a mess..." Cherry shoved his journal back against him.

"My journals just prove that without you, I would have never have had any of these adventures." Atticus said.

"I suppose so..." Cherry shrugged.

"He's right, Cherry." Drell said.

Cherry merely glanced to Drell and looked away from him.

"Oh, don't you start with me!" Drell frowned.

Cherry stuck her tongue out and looked away again. The balance began to be restored as things seem to now be back to normal, but it was a little uneven and where Cherry knew why and knew who had to apologize to who.

"Cherry, don't you have something to say to somebody?" Celestia prompted.

"I can't imagine what you mean, Princess..." Cherry shrugged innocently.

"Um, actually, Your Highness, I have something I would like to say to Drell because, well, what I said to or in this case, shouted at him, wasn't very nice at all." Atticus frowned.

"Oh?" Celestia asked.

Cherry hid a look of guilt in her eyes.

"And Cherry it isn't your fault so you don't have to feel guilty." Atticus said, already seeing the guilt in her eyes.

Cherry grinned nervously with a light chuckle, but looked down and watched her foot as it drew circles in the ground.

"Cherry, is there something you're not telling us?" Celestia asked.

"Mm-mm..." Cherry shook her head and avoided eye contact.

Drell looked to Atticus. "Look, I'm really sorry for making Cherry miserable, I guess I got a little out of control with my torment toward her... I didn't really think about how it'd make any of you feel..."

"And I'm sorry for yelling/shouting at you and saying that I never wanted to see you again." Atticus said.

"I kinda deserved it..." Drell smiled shyly. "I can be a bit of a pain whenever I want to be."

"Hmm." Cherry sharply hummed in response to that.

"I'm sorry, Atticus." Drell repeated his apology, very sincerely.

"I forgive you as long as you can forgive me for what I said/shouted to you." Atticus said.

"I will..." Drell promised with a smile.

The two then gently hugged and made up which made almost everybody else reply in awe.

"Okay, time to move on..." Cherry walked off. "Let's get ready to Shining Armor and Cadence's baby."

"Cherry, is there something you're hiding? Because there seems to be one more thing unbalancing the fates." Celestia said.

"Uh-uh..." Cherry looked away.

"Cerise?" Forte prompted. "What is it?"

"Nothing..." Cherry bit her lip.

"Cherry, please tell us, please?" Atticus begged.

"I have nothing to hide..." Cherry looked away.

Forte grabbed her face and forced her to make eye contact, a dead give away of her lying was avoiding eye contact.

"Cerise, don't force me to hypnotize you to make you tell us what you're hiding." Forte said.

Cherry shook her head.

Forte raised his fingertips. "Last chance..." 

Cherry dipped her eyes.

"Please, Cherry." Patch begged.

Cherry looked away. "I was rather mean to Drell myself..."

"I forgive you for that too, Cherry, I also deserved that." Drell said.

"Yes, yes, you do..." Cherry smirked. 

Drell glared to her.

Cherry sighed. "i'm sorry for trying to wipe you off the face of the Earth."

"I forgive you." Drell said.

"Okay..." Cherry said, instead of thanking him.

"I'll take that as a 'thank you'." Drell said.

Cherry breathed in relief. Celestia then took them back to their motel in San Francisco.


	20. Chapter 20

Patrick and Emily hugged Atticus. Atticus hugged them back, he then bent down to his puppy and hugged him as well. Patch smiled, happy to stay on Earth with the ones he loved. 

"Oh, buddy, I missed you so much..." Atticus smiled to Patch.

"I bet I missed you more." Patch smiled back.

"There's no way that you could have missed me more than I missed you." Atticus smiled.

"Wanna bet?" Patch smirked.

"Oh, no, you two aren't going to wrestle, are you?" Emily giggled.

"Maybe...?" Atticus and Patch smiled innocently. 

"I love a good wrestling match..." Drell laughed.

Skippy released a long-suffering sigh, then forced himself to smile and nod to Drell's statement.

"Then we better use some magic to make this place more durable." Patrick said.

Skippy handed Drell his wand.

"I was looking for this..." Drell took it, then gave a firm look to his friend. "SKIPPY?!"

Skippy shook his head quickly to show it wasn't his fault.

"I'll figure out how you got my wand later." Drell said.

Skippy pouted and pulled his hat down over his eyes and turned his head, going to a corner to punish himself.

"Drelly Bean, if you would do the honors?" Patrick smirked.

Drell rolled his eyes. "Sure, Patty Cakes."

This caused Atticus and Patch to laugh a little at the nicknames the two adults gave each other.

Drell then threw his wand up in the air and bent down as he grabbed it again and zapped with it. "BIG BAD BOOM, CHANGE UP THIS ROOM!"

Then after a flash of light, the room was changed into a more durable room.

"Whew!" Drell wiped his forehead. "I'm getting too old for this crap..."

"It looks perfect." Emily smiled.

"Thank you..." Drell flopped down into his chair. "So sorry about that crummy room before, SOMEBODY told me that hotels and motels were the same thing in this realm."

Skippy looked over, gaping his mouth open, then frowned firmly, knowing Drell was talking about him.

"Are you sure he was the one that told you that?" Patrick asked firmly.

"Yeah... Skippy knows everything..." Drell shrugged innocently.

Skippy sighed again and rolled his eyes. 

"Man, you cannot catch a break." Cherry said to him.

Skippy frowned and shook his head.

"Hey, Dad, maybe while me and Patch are wrestling, you can wrestle with Drell." Atticus smirked.

Patrick laughed. "I've always dreamed of wrestling against Drell and winning."

This caused Drell to gulp as he knew that he should have seen this coming.

"Have fun." Cherry playfully nudged Drell.

"You.... YOU!!!" Drell growled, holding out his hands, looking like he wanted to strangle her. "You're a decent creature who deserves better!" he then forced himself to grin and restrain himself from harming her.

Patrick grabbed Drell and pulled him in so he would wrestle the strong warlock.

"Whoa!" Drell yelped as he was suddenly pulled.

Skippy put his hand to his mouth as he quietly snickered in amusement of Drell's pain and suffering.

"This should be entertaining for you." Emily said to Skippy.

Skippy grinned and nodded in agreement, no one had ever seen him that happy before.

"Ready to wrestle, Drell?" Patrick asked.

"I was born ready..." Drell said, he then took out his wand and put on his wrestling leotard with spiked boots and smirked. "Let's lucharan, shall we?" he then asked with a laugh. 

"Lucharan?" Patrick asked.

"I visited this one dimension where everybody was a masked wrestler," Drell explained. "There was even a school for it called the Foremost World Renowned International School of Lucha."

"What he said was 'let's wrestle'." Atticus translated.

"Yeah... Lots of people speak Spanish there..." Drell said, then looked to Atticus. "Thanks, kiddo, you gonna cry once I beat your old man?"

"No, because if you forget, my dad is as strong as me now, thanks to the strength boost I gave him in Hollywood." Atticus smirked.

Drell looked nervous then, but then glared to Skippy like he was blaming him, which he almost always did. "Yeah, Skippy, what're you saying?!"

Skippy patted himself in deep offense.

"You can't blame him this time." Patrick smirked.

"All right, all right, let's get dangerous." Drell smirked back then.

"Better hope this isn't too dangerous for you." Patrick smirked.

"Take a stand, muggle." Drell teased.

"I'm a Wiccan!" Patrick pouted and folded his arms.

"Not a real witch." Drell laughed.

"This cannot end well for Drell." Cherry smirked.

"Put a sock in it, Butler!" Drell growled.

Cherry stuck her tongue out at the warlock.

"Ready to wrestle?" Patrick asked.

"Ready to die?" Drell retorted as he cracked his knuckles. 

Skippy took out his own wand and turned the room into a wrestling ring with a hooting and hollering audience and there were people from the press snapping photographs with their comically large cameras.

"Not today, my friend." Patrick retorted back.

"Suit yourself..." Drell laughed.

Skippy rang the bell for them and held up a sign with a number one on it to indicate 'Round One'.

"You can do it, Dad!" Atticus cheered.

"I love you, Patrick!" Emily swooned.

Patrick waved to his wife and son before getting grabbed over Drell's shoulders. Drell smirked, then spun around with him and threw him flat on the ring floor with a laugh.

"Cheater..." Patrick growled before standing up and charging toward the warlock.

"This is going to be good." Atticus smirked as he used his magic to conjure up some popcorn for himself, his mother, and some dog food like popcorn for Patch.

Darla poked her head out as she hopped over a seat and came into her big brother's lap.

"Darla?!" the others asked.

"Hi." Darla giggled innocently.

"Darla, how in the world did you get here?!" Atticus asked her.

"I have my ways..." Darla shrugged innocently.

"Darla?" Atticus asked suspiciously.

"I might've used a little magic to bring myself here..." Darla put her hands behind her back shyly.

"You used your medallion to get here?" Atticus asked.

"Maybe?" Darla grinned sheepishly.

"Silly goose..." Atticus ruffled up her blonde curls playfully.

"Hey!" Darla giggled.

Atticus smirked playfully to her. Mo looked over and smiled at Atticus's bond with Darla, it made her think of her bond with Junior: Though they were not biologically older siblings to their younger ones, they still loved them like their very own family, regardless of sharing blood or not. The entire wrestling match was intense and where it even made the whole room shake. It was the most exciting wrestling match in history.

Patrick started to tangle with Drell successfully. Drell yelled out and pounded the floor with tears in his eyes as Patrick held his leg close behind his back. 

"Say it, Say it!" Patrick smirked.

"I give! I give! Uncle! Uncle!" Drell screamed out.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Patrick let go of him.

Drell panted and grunted. "Dang, you nearly killed me!" 

"Yeah, why'd you stop?" Cherry playfully pouted.

"Don't start." Drell glared.

Cherry smirked to him. Drell and Patrick took a water break.

"Good one, Patty Cakes," Drell chuckled. "First time I wrestled you in ages and you didn't cry home to your mommy this time."

"Well, I've grown since then." Patrick said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Drell rolled his eyes.

"This is so exciting!" Darla smiled.

"So, the little Curly Q is here, huh?" Drell eyed Darla.

"Yes, I am, and I wanna see who wins." Darla said.

"Well, I've been winner and still champion in the final round for 500 years now and I ain't gonna lose my title now." Drell smirked as he flexed one his arms with a smug smile.

Skippy simply rolled his eyes at that.

Drell glanced, then held out his fist with his teeth clenched. Skippy then pulled down his hat over his eyes and ducked down in fear.

"Hurt him and it will be my fist to your face." Patrick threatened.

"I now see where Atticus gets his threatening side in the family." Drell said.

"Hush up, Drell!" Emily scolded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Drell sounded afraid of Emily's wrath.

"That's what I thought." Emily said.

Skippy smiled thankfully to Patrick.

"No problem, buddy." Patrick smiled.

Skippy gave a relaxed smile to him and sat back down.

"I like him." Darla giggled, referring to Skippy.

Skippy smiled at Darla when he heard that. Darla smiled back to him. Skippy put his hand up in the air, did a sleight of hand, and made a giant lollipop appear and then held it down for her.

"Oh, thank you!" Darla beamed as she took it and started to lick it instantly in content. "Mm, birthday cake~..."

"Awww! That's very sweet of you, Skippy." Emily smiled.

Skippy smiled shyly like a nervous school boy, he didn't have a crush on Emily, but he always felt bashful whenever a woman complimented him.

"That was a great match, one that I haven't had since, well, since I wrestled your son." Drell said.

"No hard feelings, eh, Drelly Bean?" Patrick held out his hand.

"You're cool, Patty Cakes," Drell shook his hand firmly. "I envy you... I wish I could have a son like yours."

"In a way, he kind of is, just not biological." Patrick said, accidentally using his full new strength.

Drell visibly cringed at the hold, but it didn't bother him too much, at least, he tried not to let it bother him too much. "Yeah!" he said, through in a strained voice.

"Oops, sorry." Patrick let go then.

"I'm fine..." Drell laughed weakly. 

Skippy laughed at Drell's pain.

"Maybe you'd like to practice with Skippy." Drell then said.

Skippy's eyes widened and he ran away like a coward.

"I think Skippy would disagree with that." Patrick said.

"I'm joking," Drell laughed, then yelled out. "Skippy, get back over here, you knucklehead!"

Skippy came back in the room, scared that the strong warlock would make him get in the ring.

"Skippy, my main man..." Drell put his arm around Skippy. "How long have we known each other?"

Skippy bent his head down and silently counted on his fingers.

"Long time, huh?" Drell stopped him right there. 

Skippy put his hands behind his back and looked up with a small smile.

"When was the last time you and me had a vacation, huh?" Drell asked.

Skippy merely shrugged with a sheepish smile and shake of his head.

"You guys are going to Equestria, huh?" Drell looked to Cherry, Atticus, Mo, and Patch in the audience.

"That's right." Atticus said.

"Skippy, when was the last time we went to Equestria?" Drell asked.

"Whoa, hold up, you're gonna come too?" Cherry asked back.

"You got a problem with that...?" Drell leaned over her, rather threateningly.

Cherry sunk down and mumbled nervously in response.

"I didn't think so..." Drell smirked darkly to her fear and then came back over to Skippy's side.

"It's no trouble at all if you want to come." Atticus said.

"Uh, yeah..." Cherry rubbed her arm nervously.

"It's just that we've had pretty good ideas about Shining Armor and Princess Cadence for a long time and hadn't seen them since they were foals," Drell smiled innocently. "We'd like to see the newest addition to the royal family."

"And I'm sure they'll be happy see you again." Atticus smiled.

"You knew Cadence and Shining Armor?" Mo asked, curiously.

"I took the summer off for a century one time," Drell explained. "Skippy became a foalsitter and I decided to help him one time, eventually, we met the future Canterlot Guard and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

"Cool." Darla smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that..." Drell smirked, then looked to Cherry and Atticus. "How long until Pinkie Pie snapped about keeping the secret from Twilight?"

"Both her and me were about to break the first time before Shining Armor and Cadance came in as a surprise and then we tried to stay calm, trying to not tell her at the end of the scavenger hunt." Atticus said.

"It was a fun scavenger hunt, but since we knew the answers like Pinkie Pie, it felt like the others were blind or something." Cherry added in.

"Seems like it was." Drell said.

"You had to be there..." Cherry slightly narrowed her eyes in deadpan, then chuckled. "So, uh, Skippy, do you have a pony form too?"

Skippy took out his wand, waved it over his head, and became a handsome young alicorn stallion with a caramel colored coat with darker curly mane and a curlier tail with his hat in place and smiled to her.

Cherry laughed and pointed to him. "You're a pony~...."

"Cool, you're an alicorn." Atticus smiled.

"I didn't think that was possible." Mo added.

Skippy smiled sheepishly and shuffled his back hind hoof shyly.

"Anyways, we'll get to Equestria as soon as we're back home." Atticus said.

Skippy nodded.

"It's agreed upon then," Drell said before zapping with his pointer finger and making the room back to the way it was before and remodeled nicely. "I better get home, Penelope's probably worrying her pretty little head about us."

"Or that she's having another party." Atticus said.

Drell and Skippy looked to each other, then transported home after getting Skippy back to his human form. 

"B-R-B!" Drell's voice said as they disappeared with a smoke cloud.

"Same old Drell." Patrick said.

Darla was still licking her lollipop. "I like his friend."

"Yes, Skippy sure is nice." Emily smiled.

"So sweet." Mo added.

"He's cute too." Cherry said.

This made the others look at her strangely.

"I-I mean not like that!" Cherry stuttered slightly, turning bright pink in her cheeks. "He's just... He... I... Oh, forget it..."

"Um, okay." Atticus said.

Darla smirked while Cherry gritted her teeth and looked away.

"Anyway, we better get back home." Emily said before all of them were teleported back home.

Cherry, Mo, and Forte then left the Fudo house once they were brought back home. After they left, Atticus brought his mother into his room, once they were alone, he found it was safe to talk.


	21. Chapter 21

"Everything okay, Atticus?" Emily asked once it was just her and him.

"Mom, I found out more about my past and I also found out more about my merperson powers." Atticus told her.

"I figured you would by now at this day in age," Emily replied. "It's different for a lot of people, but I did it and Jessie did at your age too."

Atticus brought out a glass of water and placed it on his nightstand before concentrating and letting it freeze solid and then made a crystal form up on the floor.

"I see..." Emily took note of that.

"Along with this." Atticus said before clearing his voice as he began to sing the enchanted song.

Emily leaned back as he sang, but wasn't put under the spell. 

"What does it mean, Mom?" Atticus asked once he finished.

"It means you're embracing your powers." Emily smiled.

"Cool, so I shouldn't be worried that my crystal power comes from Uncle Sombra?" Atticus asked with a firm look.

This caused for Emily to gulp, that did explain why her son was able to summon a crystal from the ground. 

"Mom...?" Atticus asked since she didn't say 'yes' or 'no', but only had a look of fear dawned upon her face.

"W-When did you find out?" Emily asked out of fear.

"My crystal powers?" Atticus asked.

"Yes, and also about Sombra?" Emily asked.

"Remember when I went to Equestria for a week and we were all nearly corrupted?" Atticus prompted.

Emily looked deathly nervous then. "Yes, dear."

"That was the time when I met Sombra, that and when me Mo, Patch, and Cherry met the Twitches." Atticus said.

"I see..." Emily's face paled.

Atticus noticed his mother looked rather sick. "Are you okay, Mom?"

"Um, y-yes, I'm just sorry you had to meet him." Emily said.

"I would never turn to the dark side..." Atticus promised.

Emily hugged him, taking a deep sigh.

"Or so you think." Sombra's voice chuckled.

Emily and Atticus looked overwhelmed then.

"Go away!" Emily demanded.

"And why should I listen to you?" Sombra's voice asked.

"You don't wanna mess with Mom..." Atticus warned.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Atticus is my son, I love and protect him, it's my job, not yours."

"Yes, but you wouldn't hurt a family member, would you?" Sombra smirked. "Not after I saved his life when he was a baby."

Emily bowed her head. Yes, that was true, but she did not like to be reminded of it.

"What do you want, Uncle?" Atticus asked.

"Just wanted you to know that I'll be at the Crystal Empire soon." Sombra smirked.

"Good for you..." Emily grumbled.

"Wait, but, the Crystal Empire is protected by the Crystal Heart." Atticus said.

"It is?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." Atticus said.

"Such a smart boy you are, I'm so proud." Sombra's voice told Atticus.

"Just leave us alone." Atticus said.

"Oh, don't you miss me, Atticus?" Sombra asked.

"Sombra, get out of here before we make you." Emily demanded.

"Fine, I'll see you all at the Crystalling." Sombra's voice said before disappearing.

Emily shook a chill down her spine. "I hate that stallion..." She mumbled under her breath, referring to Sombra of course.

"Same here." Atticus said.

Emily put her arm around Atticus and gently hugged him with a small tear in her eye. "Oh, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mom." Atticus smiled.

Emily smiled with tears in her eyes, hugging him nice and tight. Atticus hugged her back, but didn't use his full strength. Patrick smiled to his wife and son and kept walking off as Darla was still licking her lollipop as it seemed to have an endless, sickeningly sweet flavor.


	22. Chapter 22

"It feels so great to be back home." Patch smiled.

"It's great to have you back." Maisy smiled back to him.

"Great to be back." Patch smiled.

"You must be hungry, huh?" Maisy asked.

"You got that right." Patch said before getting picked up by a familiar red-head.

Maisy looked up as Patch was suddenly picked up.

"Oh, Patch, I'm so happy you're back!" Dot smiled.

"Dot, hi!" Patch smiled to his owner's little cousin.

"Oh, it's a miracle..." Dot hugged Patch nice and tight, but luckily, did not harm him. "I prayed for you every night after we heard the news!"

"Yep ." Lucky smiled.

"Now I can pay dress-up with you." Dot smiled, causing the Dalmatian to go wide-eyed.

Patch gulped and forced himself to smile. "Great... Just great..."

"Oh, this is going to be entertaining." Maisy giggled.

"Hmm..." Patch narrowed his eyes at the cat as Dot was going to doll him up quite literally.

And where he saw that Lucky was being dressed up as well. Patch sighed, but the dogs put up with it, it could always be worse.

"At least none of the girls are here to see this." Patch whispered.

"Yeah, that'd be a little too much." Lucky whispered back with a nervous chuckle.

"So, what am I going to have to wear?" Patch asked.

"Whatever Dot wants..." Lucky sighed. "Whatever Dot wants."

"I know, I just want to know if it's going to be anything too embarrassing." Patch said.

"We'll just have to see..." Lucky said.

Dot smiled as she came back to the two dogs with fluffy pink clothes and giggled as she started to dress them up. Cookie and Colette looked through the window and giggled as Lucky and Patch were subjected to Dot's 'torture'.

"Of all things, why did she have to dress us up like this?" Patch asked.

Lucky sighed. "It could always be worse."

Cookie and Colette's laughter was heard. Lucky and Patch then turned their heads and looked out to the window to see their girlfriends were laughing at them.

"Oh, the indignity." Patch said dramatically.

Lucky laughed a little at that. "Good one."

Cookie and Colette then came into the house together with small smirks.

Lucky glanced at them. "And what can we do for you little ladies today?"

"Strudel wants a meeting with all of us whenever you're not too busy about a certain new recruit." Cookie replied.

"Cool, can't wait to meet the new recruit." Patch smiled.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll love them." Colette smiled back.

Dot overheard the dogs talking and decided to take the embarrassing clothes off both Lucky and Patch. Lucky and Patch smiled in relief once Dot did that, allowing them to catch a break from her dressing up tendencies like they were her living dolls.

Dot smiled and took the clothes off of the border collie and Dalmatian puppy and wiped the make-up off of them so they wouldn't look silly. "There, go to your girlfriends." she told them in a teasing voice.

This caused Lucky, Patch, Cookie, and Colette to blush. Dot chuckled and walked off, allowing the dogs to have some privacy.

"So, now are you two ready to go meet the new recruit?" Cookie asked.

"You bet!" Lucky smiled.

"Come on, let's go!" Patch said, then looked over. "Oh, hold on a sec... Atticus, I'm going out! See you at supper!"

"Okay!" Atticus distantly called back.

"All right, let's go." Patch then turned back to the others so they could go to Headquarters together now.

"I wonder who the new recruit is?" Lucky said.

Cookie giggled. "Oh, you'll find out~"

"Yeah." Colette giggled.

Lucky and Patch glanced to each other, then shrugged and they kept going along until they made it to their Headquarters.

They then finally arrived and Strudel came forth to the four dogs. "Now, you're probably wonder why you're all here."

"Isn't this about the new recruits?" Squirt asked.

"Yes, it is, and there is only one new recruit." Strudel nodded.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, who is it and where are they?" Niblet asked.

"She is already right here in front of us." Strudel replied with a proud smile.

"That's your cue, Sugah." Cookie whispered to Colette.

Colette smiled and nodded, then stepped forward.

"Behold, our newest Pound Puppy: Colette." Strudel announced.

This was a surprise for the rest of the Pound Puppies in a good way, especially for Patch.

Colette smiled bashfully as the other Pound Puppies cheered for her. "Gosh... I don't know what to say..." she said softly to her new fellow Pound Puppies.

"How's about that you're glad to be a part of the Pound Puppies?" Squirt asked.

"Well, yes..." Colette giggled.

"You two will be side-by-side." Strudel said, referring to her of course and to Patch, knowing the two were rather sweet on each other.

"You got that right." Patch smiled.

Colette smiled, eagerly and happily. "Thank you for letting me become one of you."

"Of course, we'll need to change up this tag a little bit, but I promise, nothing too drastic." Strudel replied as she looked to Colette's red collar that she had always worn since she was old enough for a license.

"Oh, okay." Colette smiled.

"Allow me..." Strudel then said.

Colette tipped her head down and shook herself to take her collar off and then stood up straight, feeling weird without her collar since she had worn it so long.

"Thank you, dear." Strudel picked up the collar and went to turn it into a Pound Puppy tag like she did with Patch's old collar.

"Trust me, your collar will look good as new." Patch smiled at Colette.

Colette smiled back to him. "I guess I could get used to the idea of being a Pound Puppy."

"This means we'll be on missions." Patch smiled.

"Together!" Colette beamed.

"Together," Patch smiled back in excitement. "Once a Pound Puppy, always a Pound Puppy."

"So true." Lucky smiled.

Colette smiled and was glad to find a place to call her own and that she got to have Patch by her side.

After a short while, Colette's Pound Puppy tag and new collar was ready.

"There you are, dear." Strudel told the cocker spaniel puppy.

"Thank you, Ms. Strudel." Colette smiled once she wore her new tag.

"It looks perfect on you." Strudel smiled once Colette put on her new collar.

"It really is lovely." Patch agreed.

Colette smiled shyly. "Thank you, I feel honored."

"Being a member of the Pound Puppies is an honor." Squirt smiled.

"So I've heard..." Colette smiled. "I have so many questions, there's just so much I wanna know..."

"We'll happily answer them whenever the time is right." Patch put his paw around her with a confident and proud smile to her.

Colette smiled back, this all just felt like a dream. The puppy of her dreams had an unfortunate demise, but now he was back and she was going to be spending a lot more time with him now that she was a Pound Puppy like him and that was all that mattered to her little desired heart and treasured delight.

"Speaking of time, how's your time machine coming along, Strudel?" Squirt asked.

"It's almost done, I'll have a meeting once it's all finished and we can experiment with it," Strudel promised. "The squirrels have been so helpful."

"Good to know." Colette said.

"Would you like to come with us?" Patch invited.

"I'd love to come." Colette smiled.

"I thought you would." Patch smiled back.

"So, when will it be ready, Ms. Strudel?" Colette asked.

"Give me at least a couple of weeks, it should be set before then, but I can't be positive." Strudel guesstimated.

"Take your time." Patch said.

"I got all the time in the world." Strudel joked.

"Oh, before I forget, I have some exciting news." Patch smiled.

"Ooh, what is it, little buddy?" Squirt asked.

"First, I'm not so little anymore and second, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance just had their baby, and me and Atticus's family, and Cherry, and Mo are invited to come and see the baby and we can bring anyone we want." Patch smiled.

"Oh, a baby, I love babies!" Strudel cooed.

"So, who're ya gonna bring?" Niblet asked.

"I was hoping to bring Colette, Lucky, and Cookie with me." Patch smiled.

"Oh, me too?" Cookie sounded flattered and touched.

"Yep." Patch nodded.

"Why, thank you, Patch." Cookie smiled shyly.

"Thanks, Patch." Lucky smiled.

"Of course, you guys should visit Equestria too." Patch smiled back.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the baby." Colette smiled.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Lucky asked.

"They want us to see for ourselves." Patch explained.

"So, when do we leave?" Colette asked.

"As soon as possible, let's just wait until everyone else is ready." Patch said.

"All right." Colette nodded then.

"Our next adventure shall be in Equestria, first we meet the new baby, and then who knows what'll happen next?" Patch sounded very excited.

Maybe a friendship lesson." Colette smiled.

"Usually happens there, I hope you like it." Patch smiled back to her.

"I know I will." Colette smiled.

Patch smiled in excitement as they were all now planning the trip to Canterlot in the land of Equestria as Atticus was writing a letter to Twilight about visiting to meet her new niece or nephew.


	23. Chapter 23

"Dear Twilight,

Me and my family, and Cherry, and M,o and Patch are coming for a visit to see the baby and Mo, Cherry, and Patch will bring along with them anyone they want so expect to see more than just the four of us coming. Also how's Starlight doing after being reformed? I hope she's adjusting to the castle, anyways, see you and the girls soon.

From Atticus."

Atticus wrote in a letter to Equestria.

Patrick and Emily didn't mean to eavesdrop, but they smiled as they listened in slightly, very proud to have their son and felt very fortunate to be blessed with him. As soon as he sent the letter to Equestria thanks to his magic, he smiled. Patrick and Emily then hid and leaned against the wall in case Atticus would just happen to walk out unexpectedly.

"You two can come out, I sensed you two eavesdropping." Atticus said.

Emily giggled.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to," Patrick explained. "We just couldn't help overhear one of your letters to your pony friend."

"She's more like another sister." Atticus smiled.

"So we've heard." Patrick smiled back. 

"It's so nice of you to make friends of different worlds," Emily added in. "It just makes your life a whole lot more exciting."

"Mom, Dad, I'm curious, have you heard of or been to Equestria before I started going after Twilight ended up in our world?" Atticus asked his parents.

"Actually, we did we had our wedding there." Patrick said.

"Really?" Atticus asked in surprise.

"Yes, really." Emily smiled.

"No way..." Atticus folded his arms.

"Yes, way..." Patrick took him down the hallway to show a picture.

And where it showed his parents with Celestia in their wedding clothes.

"Ooh..." Atticus's eyes sparkled.

"That was the perfect day..." Emily sighed in memory. "Next to you and Jessie being born of course."

"Was it magical?" Atticus asked.

"Absolutely..." Emily smiled dreamily. "More magical than I could had ever dreamed of."

"Did you ever meet Twilight's parents?" Atticus asked.

"Hmm..." Patrick paused to think. "Let me think..."

"What were their names?" Emily asked.

"Twilight Velvet and Night Light." Atticus informed.

"Ohh, yeah, we did meet them." Patrick smiled.

"Have you?" Emily asked.

"I haven't had a chance to speak with them, but I saw them at Shining Armor and Cadence's wedding." Atticus explained.

"Well, maybe this time, you'll be able to meet them." Emily smiled.

"Probably..." Atticus shrugged. "I guess I'd really get to see them if I grew up in Canterlot."

"So, Atticus, we noticed you now have a sword." Patrick said.

"Uh, yeah," Atticus nodded. "I heard Celestia's voice when I was sword-fighting against the Devil to save Cherry's soul from being damned to Hell."

"Wait, you mean you actually fought against Satan?" Patrick asked.

"Yes, sir..." Atticus nodded, gravely serious.

"Whoa, and you defeated him?" Patrick asked, sounding impressed.

"I guess Celestia helped..." Atticus shrugged with a small smile.

"Sounds like you could use some rest right about now," Emily smiled back. "You've had an exhausting adventure in San Francisco. You might wanna get well-rested before you go to Equestria."

"Yeah..." Atticus nodded, then suddenly yawned. "Who knows when Twilight will write back?"

"Exactly." Patrick agreed. "I suggest you get some rest now and get ready tomorrow when you have a little more energy, then when Twilight's letter comes, you can spring into action."

"Yeah." Atticus smiled.

"Get some rest, we'll let you know if anything happens." Emily advised.

Atticus yawned again, then went straight to his bedroom and fell instantly asleep as soon as he crawled on top of his bed. Emily smiled, she came into the room and took off Atticus's shoes, then got him into his pajamas, tucked him into bed, kissed his cheek, and turned out the light to allow him to get some sleep until his next upcoming journey.

"That son of ours sure is special." Patrick said.

"Indeed, he really is..." Emily agreed as she gently shut Atticus's bedroom door closed so he could get some sleep.

"And if Celestia gave him, that sword that must be the legendary sword." Patrick said.

"That's what I heard..." Emily nodded.

"Well, we better get some sleep." Patrick said.

"Mm-hmm..." Emily agreed.

With that, everybody in the family, and all around them went to sleep after a big and long adventure that was quite both heavenly and hellish.

The End


End file.
